It’s not just crime: What’s really going on with San Francisco’s shrinking retail district

In many ways, San Francisco’s downtown is in dire straits. The city’s Union Square neighborhood — once bustling with shoppers, diners, and tourists — has suffered from declining foot traffic and shuttered storefronts.

Stores in the area now have papered-over windows and “Retail for Lease” signs, according to Google Street View, which was last updated in June.

While in-person activities in many major cities in the United States have rebounded since the start of the Covid pandemic, San Francisco’s recovery has been strained. The downturn of the city’s Union Square...