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SPUR articles, research, policy recommendations, and our magazine, The Urbanist

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SF Poised to Create State's First Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone

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San Francisco is once again poised to be a pioneer in urban agriculture policy. In June, Supervisor David Chiu introduced an ordinance that create California's first urban agriculture incentive zone and allow property owners who contract their land into urban agricultural use for at least five years to receive a property tax reduction

Summarizing our Open House Feedback

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On Saturday May 10th, SPUR hosted a public update and open house about ongoing efforts to implement the Ocean Beach Master Plan. These include the Ocean Beach Coastal Management Framework, Ocean Beach Transportation Study, and Ocean Beach Open Space Design. Thanks very much to everyone who provided feedback on the Ocean Beach implementation projects.

Can a New Law Free Cities From Car-Oriented Development?

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Why is it taking so long to retrofit our car-oriented cities to make them more walkable and bikeable? In part, it’s because of an antiquated engineering concept called “auto level of service” or LOS. Here’s how LOS came to control our built environment — and what the State of California is doing to release the hold this little-known metric has had on our cities.

How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Roundabouts

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SPUR is leading a transportation study at Ocean Beach to further develop the access and circulation recommendations of the Ocean Beach Master Plan. The transportation design team has proposed a new solution for Skyline Boulevard: a series of well designed modern roundabouts.

El Niño Brewing: Rough Waters Ahead for Ocean Beach?

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Recent data suggest that an El Niño weather pattern may develop in the Pacific Ocean this year. El Niños typically generate wetter and more frequent winter storms in California, with potential implications for erosion at Ocean Beach. What will these storms mean for the future of the beach, and for the recommendations in SPUR’s Ocean Beach Master Plan?

Why We Need the Central Subway in North Beach and Beyond

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The Central Subway extension of the T-Third light rail to Chinatown doesn’t include a plan for future service to North Beach or the neighborhoods beyond. A community-led movement is ensuring the proper evaluation of the light rail extension. Residential, commercial, transit and tourist hubs are heavily concentrated on the eastern side of the city, yet not enough fast and reliable transit connections exist between them.

What’s Happening With California’s High-Speed Rail System

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California's high-speed rail project, which will connect Los Angeles to San Francisco in under three hours, is making progress on numerous fronts. There are updates surrounding the project's construction, routes, funding, lawsuits and new business plan.

Download content from SPUR's Ocean Beach Open House

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On May 10th SPUR hosted an Open House and Public Update meeting at County Fair Building at Golden Gate Park. Information was presented on the updates on the three implementation studies currently underway (Coastal Management Framework, Transportation and Open Space).

Public Update and Open House: Ocean Beach Master Plan Implementation Projects

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The Ocean Beach Master Plan, a vision for San Francisco's western coast, recommends ways to improve coastal access, restore ecological function and protect critical infrastructure in the face of chronic erosion and sea level rise. Three projects - addressing coastal management, transportation, and open space -- are currently underway to carry those recommendations forward.

Ocean Beach Implementation Study Update: Open Space Design

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The Open Space Design focuses on recreational and landscape improvements on Ocean Beach and surrounding streets and trails. With different parts of the beach eroding at different rates, the design team is exploring creative ways to adapt to coastal changes for varying timeframes.

Show Us the Money: How Will Cap and Trade Revenues Be Spent?

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Between 2013 and 2020, California will earn between $12 billion and $45 billion in cap-and-trade revenue. The state has already received hundreds of millions of dollars from auction revenues over the last 18 months, with that number poised to be in the billions annually within a few years. Now the state needs to decide: How will the money be spent?

San Francisco’s New Urban Agriculture Program Up and Running

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After many months of planning, San Francisco’s new urban agriculture program launched in January . The program, designed to coordinate and increase the city’s support for city farmers and gardeners, recently released details about its first year priorities.

Can We Make Bay Area Transit Make Sense?

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SPUR recently hosted a charrette to look at how we can make the region’s array of transit operators function more like one clear, understandable system. Transit operators, regional planners, transporation experts and private transportation providers gathered to share what they've learned and where the opportunities lie.

Coastal Management Framework: What's New

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Updates on the Coastal Management Framework implementation project. An Immediate-Term Management Strategy, a package of softer management tools covering the first three storm seasons, is under review, wind blown sand management techniques have been identified and a vulnerability analysis and coastal engineering feasibility study are being prepared.

Bringing Water Consumption Down as the Drought Heats Up

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As California grapples with one of its worst droughts in recorded history, many in the Bay Area are wondering what should be done to ensure that we have sufficient water. Luckily, water agencies in our region are already leading the way on innovative approaches to reduce demand by fostering water conservation and efficiency. Here's what's working.

Diridon Station: Big Investments, Big Opportunities

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Regional transit projects planned for San Jose's Diridon Station could make it one of the Bay Area’s most important transit and development hubs — if the area around it is planned well. The city has released a draft version of its Diridon Station Area Plan, which will shape the future of the area. SPUR has reviewed the plan and made a number of important recommendations.