Newsom said by closing a 3 1/2-mile stretch of road, residents would be able to indulge their yoga, bicycling or dancing hobbies in the Bay Bridge's shadow, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

"Instead of bringing people to open space," Newsom said, "we bring open space to people."

The closures would all take place on Sundays in either August or September and would only last for four hours, but nonetheless Newsom said he knows the plan will be controversial.

Yet Newsom feels the temporary road closures would allow San Francisco to join the ranks of Paris or Bogota, Colombia, cities that close off major thoroughfares for humanistic pursuits.

"If we're a world-class city, then let's act like a world-class city and create a sense of city pride and take advantage of our unique character," the mayor told the Chronicle.