The San Francisco Wind Comfort Criteria is a standard used in the San Francisco Planning Code to assess wind impacts on pedestrian safety and comfort. In general, strong winds result in decreased pedestrian comfort – especially for more passive activities such as sitting – and may even pose a safety risk.
The San Francisco Criteria determines the wind speed threshold for the Safety Criterion based on a true hourly average wind speed.
Wind speed thresholds for its Comfort Criteria, however, are based on an equivalent wind speed, given by the following equation:
The wind speed threshold for the safety criterion, however, is based on a true hourly average wind speed.
Per the Planning Code, equivalent wind speeds for the comfort criteria may not exceed the specified threshold more than 10% of the time (between 07:00 and 18:00). True average wind speeds for the safety criterion may not reach or exceed the threshold more than 0.01% of the time (just 1 hour per year). These criteria are described in the table below:
| Location | Description | Equivalent Wind Speed (mph) | Equivalent Wind Speed (kph) | Equivalent Wind Speed (m/s) |
| Public Seating Areas | Calm or light winds acceptable for activities where pedestrians will be seated (e.g., reading, outdoor dining) | ≤ 7 | ≤ 11 | ≤ 3 |
| Heavy Pedestrian Use Areas | Modest winds acceptable for active pedestrian activities (e.g., window-shopping, walking, cycling) | ≤ 11 | ≤ 18 | ≤ 5 |
| Safety Criterion | Description | Average Wind Speed (mph) | Average Wind Speed (kph) | Average Wind Speed (m/s) |
| Hazardous to Pedestrians | Very strong winds which severely impact pedestrian comfort and safety. Mitigation is usually required. | ≥ 36 | ≥ 42 | ≥ 11.5 |
Analysis Criteria – Supplemental Information
- Hours of the Day (Comfort): 07:00 – 18:00
- Hours of the Day (Safety): All
- Seasons: All
- Allowed Exceedance (Comfort): 10%
- Allowed Exceedance (Safety): 0.01%
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