Our project is a high rise commercial office tower and public plaza developed in a high-pedestrian traffic area of downtown San Francisco. The limited area of public plaza required the majority of exterior, horizontal plaza surface area be dedicated to the high volume pedestrian uses thus limiting our ability to protect or restore enough area with vegetation to achieve the open space requirements of SSc5.1 In an effort to find an alternative and creative way to both meet the high volume pedestrian traffic needs of urban downtown development and increase the planting and habitat possibilities beyond the limits of the ground plane, we have designed a living wall along the west edge of the site. This living wall will cover 3,750 SF of vertical space (making use of otherwise useless space in front of the adjacent building\'s blank concrete lot line wall) and consists of four levels of planters supported by a structural frame and is faced with cables to promote spread of vines. Plantings will consist of locally adapted vines and native interplantings to limit required irrigation and to promote biodiversity. Much like a green roof, a suggested strategy for meeting the SS5.1 requirements, the living wall will create habitat for local bird and insect species. For example, we have specified native California Lilac (Ceanothus spp.) to attract bumble bees and adapted Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) to attract Heliconian butterfly species. (A complete list of native and adapted plant materials would be included in the credit submittal.) Additionally, this type of vertical for open space, will also create a stepping stone habitat creating urban oasis\'s that will encourage the return of regional bird, bee and butterfly species into the urban core of downtown San Francisco. We believe this site will also serve as an early link in a greater future habitat corridor of living walls and green roofs (including a few others already in design and construction) This corridor will eventually allow for regional species to move through the city and result in a downtown environment that supports a much greater biodiversity. Although the methods proposed for a living wall design are not directly spelled out in the suggested SSc5.1 implementation strategies, we believe the above approach is consistent with the intent and meets the restoration requirements through vertical application of native and adapted plants. Please confirm it will be acceptable to include the living wall design, as described above, as a vertical landscape habitat and therefore be allowed to be included in the area calculations demonstrating compliance for SSc5.1 and SSc5.2. If this is not an acceptable approach, please state what would qualify a living wall to satisfy the intent of open space for SSc5.1 and SSc5.2