Blog
Search the SPUR Blog
-
June 20, 2011The Chronicle Building's Latest Transformation BY GRETCHEN HILYARD Since the DeYoung Brothers first founded the The Daily Dramatic Chronicle in 1865, the home of San Francisco’s pioneering newspaper has been an incubator for ideas and innovation. Within a decade of its founding, the San Francisco Chronicle had the largest circulation of any newspaper west of the Mississippi River. The company has moved twice since then, and its headquarters buildings have always represented changing ideas about design and planning in the city.Today that's more true...
-
June 20, 2011How Do We Get DENSER? BY DALEEN SAAHImage credit: flickr user baldhereticDue to overwhelming demand pre-registration for this event is closed. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.This Tuesday night SPUR will host DENSER, a "Pecha Kucha" night on density, infill and urban development. What's Pecha Kucha? Named after the Japanese word for conversation or “chit chat,” it's a place for designers and other thinkers to showcase their work to the public. In Pecha Kucha's patented...
-
June 16, 2011Will Bay Area Cities Survive the Next Big Disaster? By Sarah Karlinsky1906 earthquake image courtesy Flickr user km6xoWhat happens the next time we have a major earthquake on the Hayward or San Andreas Fault? What should we be doing right now to make sure we are prepared? On Monday, I spoke at a forum hosted by the Association of Bay Area Governments, “Shaken Awake: Creative Ways to Strengthen Housing and Promote Resilience in Today’s Economy.”Our session focused on the topic of long-term recovery, the months and years it will take to rebuild...
-
June 16, 2011The Bay Plan Amendment Closes in on Consensus BY LAURA TAM, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIRECTORThere’s something in it for everyone to hate and something for everyone to love, but after two years, we are optimistic: We may be very close to a consensus on how to amend the San Francisco Bay Plan with new information about climate change.Over the last two years, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) has been working on a proposal to amend its guidance document, the Bay Plan, to include new findings and policies related to climate change and sea level...
-
June 16, 2011Exploring Ideas for the Future of Ocean Beach BY BEN GRANT, PUBLIC REALM AND URBAN DESIGN PROGRAM MANAGERThe Ocean Beach master planning process took a big step forward this month. The project team, led by SPUR, presented four “test scenarios” at its second public meeting on June 4. Based on input from our first public meeting in January, the scenarios explore the outcomes of very different approaches to managing coastal erosion, infrastructure and ecology at Ocean Beach until the year 2100. None was presented as a final answer; instead these test scenarios are extreme cases, intended...
-
June 15, 2011Good Government Awards: How Dana Ketcham Modernized SF's Park Permits SPUR’s 31st annual Good Government Awards, held earlier this year, honored five City of San Francisco employees and teams who have performed exceptionally, becoming models for other agencies and cities around the country. Dana Ketcham became involved in the Recreation and Park Department as a full-time volunteer when she spent two years redesigning the 103 athletic fields' reservation and permit system. She surveyed all field users and helped with public meetings to develop a season-...
-
June 14, 2011Will the City's Pension Proposal Really Solve the Pension Crisis? BY COREY MARSHALL, GOOD GOVERNMENT POLICY DIRECTOR In the coming weeks, the SF Board of Supervisors Rules Committee will be hearing the "consensus" proposal for pension reform, which Mayor Ed Lee and a coalition of the city’s labor unions released May 24. The board has until July to make amendments and vote on the proposal.The proposal, which projects savings of $1 billion over ten years, would:Require that city employees pay more for their benefits, rather than reducing benefits. Employee contributions to the pension fund would...
-
June 13, 2011San Francisco Crowned the ‘Coolest’ Climate-Ready City BY ELIZABETH HOEHNKEThe 108 Treasure Island bus. Photo by flickr user juicyrai.According to a recent analysis by the carbon-offset managers at CO2IMPACT, San Francisco tops the list of U.S. cities ready for climate change. The study gave us high marks for having committed political leaders, a proactive university community (11 SF schools are members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) and the largest number of LEED certified buildings per capita in the United States.While...
-
June 10, 2011Weekly Snapshot: Ban Cars in L.A.'s Downtown? BY ANIKA JESIGold Line at East Los Angeles Civic Center Station. Photo by flickr user transitpeople.In preparation for their relocation to Downtown L.A., Gensler, one of the world's largest architectural firms, has already envisioned how to make the neighborhood a more energized, livable place. The firm, in partnership with three Cal Poly architecture students, has published a video showcasing their recommendations for the area. One such proposal is make the downtown car-free, pushing all parking to the...
-
June 8, 20114 BART Stations, 1,000 New Residences, 0 Added Footprint BY PETER ENZMINGERPhoto by Karen ChappleAccessory dwelling units — better known as cottages, in-law apartments or granny flats — could provide an estimated 1,000 new residences near selected BART stations, research by UC Berkeley Professor Karen Chapple shows.ADUs diversify and increase the housing stock without enlarging a neighborhood's footprint, while allowing senior citizens to find a smaller dwelling without leaving their neighborhood, or college graduates to afford of a modest room of...
Blog RSS Feed