These planters are popping up all over our neighborhood. Their purpose is to displace homeless folks by limiting the available amount of public space. A lot of these planters have a sticker with a company website. So local activists made a parody website of the existing service.
https://sfplanters.org
Home | SF Planters

Get planter barricades installed on sidewalks in San Francisco so you don't have to look at homeless people.

Home | SF Planters
@docpop These were all over my old neighborhood in Oakland (although they were DIY versions). No one watered them so the plants all died and they just became a magnet for trash and tagging. Greening public space/heat islands is important work, it's sad to see it undermined for malicious ends.
@ihazrabies @docpop what neighborhood? Were they a similar type—big super heavy metal tanks?
@scott @docpop Fruitvale. Some were tanks from Home Depot and some were wooden planters made from old pallettes. They're generally on the street, along the curb, to prevent RVs from parking. Although I've seen them on the sidewalk in spots.
@scott @docpop Here's an example from San Leandro St.

@ihazrabies @scott I hadn't seen these on the street before. That's very interesting usage.

Do you think it's possible they were installed on the sidewalk, but then moved to the street?

@docpop @scott No, these were done by my direct neighbors and/or their landlords so I saw everything unfold. In this part of Fruitvale every crop of planters equals a spot where an RV had previously burned.