What San Francisco Leadership Can Learn From Greenville, South Carolina
Jun 20, 2025
I recently attended a real estate conference in Greenville, South Carolina, and was amazed by the city’s charm and livability. Before the conference, I knew little about Greenville or the state of South Carolina. However, after spending several days there, I quickly realized that Greenville is one of the most perfect living cities I have ever visited. The city is clean, has beautiful and well-maintained parks, vibrant shopping districts, and a strong sense of community. Despite having a population of just over 100,000, the streets were bustling with activity, even on a Sunday afternoon. Greenville truly rocks.
During the convention, the Mayor of Greenville, Knox White, spoke to us about the city’s transformation. Mayor White has been in office for over 25 years and has played a crucial role in revitalizing Greenville from a former textile town to its current vibrant state. One of the key factors in Greenville’s success was attracting BMW to build its cars in their city. This move brought over 120 additional suppliers and created more than 40,000 new jobs.
Similar to San Francisco, before its transformation, Greenville was once a city with rows of vacant buildings and retailers leaving downtown in favor of shopping centers. However, through strategic planning, Greenville managed to shrink its streets, line them with sidewalk plantings, and aggressively attract local retailers to open shops through incentives. As a result, vacant buildings have been transformed into new neighborhood retail spaces, residential housing, and successful restaurants and services on the ground floor. Greenville is now one of the fastest-growing areas in the state and top 100 best places to live.
Mayor White indicated that cities from across the United States are coming to visit Greenville to learn the secrets of its success. This is a testament to the city’s remarkable transformation and the effective strategies implemented by its leadership. In the same meeting, a realtor from New Orleans shared their own success story of converting old warehouses into new residential spaces. This initiative has also attracted visitors from other cities, eager to learn how they achieved such a transformation.
San Francisco can learn valuable lessons from Greenville and New Orleans. By studying their strategies and implementing similar initiatives, San Francisco can address its own challenges and transform into a more livable and vibrant city.
The key lies in strategic planning, community engagement, and attracting businesses that can drive economic growth. San Francisco needs to focus on revitalizing its downtown areas, creating attractive public spaces, and fostering a sense of community. By doing so, the city can overcome its current challenges and become a model for other cities to follow.