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

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Reimagining the Caltrain Railyards

News /
Could the Caltrain station and railyards at 4th and King streets be San Francisco’s next big planning opportunity? The right type of development here could knit toogether the surrounding neighborhoods, capitalize on the extensive transit access — and even help pay for important transportation projects. We explore three scenarios for the site.

South Bay Ag Tour: Many Farms, Many Business Models

News /
The array of food grown within a couple of hours of San Francisco makes our region truly unique. Along with an astounding amount of agricultural diversity, the Bay Area's farms and ranches employ a wide range of business models. This is an asset to their economic vibrancy, but it also means there are few "one size fits all" policy recommendations to support regional agriculture. I…

Strengthening the Bay Area's Regional Governance

Research
The Bay Area economy has rebounded from the recession, but major regional challenges threaten our continued prosperity. In this anlysis, written for the 2013 State of Silicon Valley conference, we make the case that some of the biggest threats to the Bay Area’s long-term economic competitiveness are best addressed through better regional governance.

The Key to a Stronger Economy? Better Regional Governance

News /
The Bay Area economy has rebounded from the recession. Yet major regional challenges threaten our continued prosperity. At the 2013 State of Silicon Valley conference, SPUR made the case that some of the biggest threats to the Bay Area’s long-term economic competitiveness are challenges best addressed through better regional governance.

SPUR Initiates Next Phase of the Ocean Beach Master Plan

News /
For the past two years, SPUR has led an extensive interagency and public process for the development of the Ocean Beach Master Plan . This work represents the first move SPUR and San Francisco have made to directly address sea level rise. Now we are beginning the first steps to implement the plan, which presents recommendations for the management and protection of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach…

Third Biennial Ocean Climate Summit

News /
California’s changing coastline is urging resource managers to plan for the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change on their local ecosystems and infrastructure. With no single lead agency planning for climate change, collaboration among governmental agencies, NGO’s, academic institutions, and communities is integral to plan for coastal adaptation measures. The Bay area is home to several citizen-based organizations and agencies working towards these efforts…

On Solid Ground

SPUR Report
When a major earthquake strikes the Bay Area, it could take months to reestablish essential services and years to rebuild. Good land use planning will be crucial to a successful recovery. If we make needed regulatory changes now, we will have the tools we need to rebuild our cities, and our region, after the earthquake strikes.

Two Bayview Corner Stores Turn a Healthy Corner

News /
The crowd of a few dozen people that spilled off the sidewalk at Lee’s Market on an overcast morning had gathered to celebrate. The occasion: the grand re-opening of the corner store with new offerings of fresh fruit, vegetables and an expanded selection of healthy grocery items. The January 24 event marked the launch of the Healthy Corner Store project of the Southeast Food Access …

The Year Ahead: SPUR's Agenda for 2013

News /
2012 was a big year for SPUR and for the urbanist agenda. Years of work culminated in dramatic victories on the November ballot: San Francisco voters created a Housing Trust Fund , passed a parks bond and reformed the business tax . San Francisco also adopted the Transit Center District Plan for the part of downtown surrounding the new Transbay Transit Center. The Central Subway…

At Last: Bike Racks at the Urban Center!

News /
Ever since the SPUR Urban Center opened in 2009, our bike-riding members have asked, “If SPUR supports cycling, why don’t you have bike racks?” It’s a long story, and it finally came to a close in December when the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District (YBCBD) unveiled the first of a new fleet of bike racks in the Yerba Buena district. Today, SPUR is happy to…

BART Metro: Bridging BART's Two Identities

News /
In November, BART released conceptual plans for a multi-billion dollar rejuvenation that would introduce a new wave of service called BART Metro. BART expects vast ridership expansion in the next several years, and these changes would allow 50 percent growth by 2025.

Stormwater Fees

Policy Brief
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's current water and sewer rate structure is drawing to a close, and a new multi-year rate study is in progress. SPUR offer recommendations to create a more equitable system, in which ratepayers become responsible for the impact their properties have on sewer infrastructure and the environment.

A Future for Farming in the Coyote Valley?

News /
Southern Santa Clara County used to have a widespread and thriving agricultural sector, helping the area earn the name “Valley of the Heart’s Delight.” Today, much of that famed farmland has been replaced with homes and offices. One exception is the Coyote Valley, a narrow, 5-mile-long area between southern San Jose and Morgan Hill . Before the recent economic downturn, much of Coyote Valley was…

SPUR Ballot Endorsements Sweep Election 2012

News /
While the majority of voters were lost in a sea of presidential fervor, San Francisco was busy having a historic local election. On the ballot were a number of important issues — from education to parks, housing to taxation. Here’s how the verdicts came down on four important measures.

City Trip to Oakland: SPUR Explores the Sunny Side of the Bay

News /
Last month, SPUR organized a two-day study trip to Oakland for our board and staff members to get a glimpse of what's happening in this great city. While recent media reports have focused on corporate protests and vandalism, Mayor Jean Quan describes Oakland as a “city on the rise” — and from what we saw, we strongly agree.

Prop. A Alone Won’t Save City College

News /
City College of San Francisco (CCSF) Interim chancellor Pamila Fisher offered a blunt assessment of the state of the college at a SPUR breakfast on October 17, just two days after the school released an action plan to address deficiencies identified by the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. “Our commitment to San Francisco values has sometimes gotten in the way of making good…

Cap and Trade Is Here at Last

News /
This week, one of the most important pieces of the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32) goes live: the first-ever quarterly auction of carbon permits under California’s Cap and Trade program is set for Wednesday, November 14. California’s cap and trade program for greenhouse gases is designed to help achieve an 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050…