Phil Matier and Andy Ross joined us yet again for their annual update on all things political in San Francisco and beyond. How are the results of the recent elections being played out across the Bay Area? What big political forces would shape 2017? Business members joined us to engage in great conversation complete with a question and answer with our guest speakers.

In the coming years, the City of Oakland will be expecting more development, which means its Planning and Building Department will need to process more permits, more quickly. Darin Ranelletti, the interim director of the City of Oakland Planning and Building Department, joined SPUR in this Oakland Problem Solvers session. Members of SPUR helped brainstorm ways to improve the city's development permitting process.

As BART looks to emphasize transit-oriented development around its stations, the agency is starting to take on a bigger and bigger role in shaping our built environment. BART managers came to SPUR members to seek expert insights to help guide them with this growth. Members proposed ideas to help the agency think about ways to become a better developer. BART Managers: + Val Menotti / Chief Planning…

As the Oakland cannabis industry comes out of the shadows, there are many issues to resolve. Members heard from Robert W. Selna, Attorney at Law, Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP, and Andrea Unsworth, Owner of StashTwist, a delivery-only marijuana dispensary, who are shaping Oakland's approach to this potentially lucrative and still controversial industry.

Just 10 percent of the vote in San Francisco went to Donald Trump. Since his election, the city’s elected leadership has spoken out against many of the president's stated priorities. California Assemblymember David Chiu, Audrey Cooper, Editor in Chief at The San Francisco Chronicle, and Fred Blackwell, CEO at The San Francisco Foundation, joined members for a discussion and exploration of the upcoming issues and possibilities facing America's…

Members joined us in welcoming four emerging councilmembers and heard how they their priorities will shape San Jose's future. The newly elected leaders are: Sergio Jimenez, District 2 Councilmember Lan Diep, District 4 Councilmember Dev Davis, District 6 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas, District 8 Councilmember

Downtown Oakland’s largest project to date proposes three acres of office, housing, and retail space for 2100 Telegraph Avenue, in the heart of the Uptown arts and entertainment district. Managing Partner at SUDA, Alan Dones, Principal at Lane Partners, Drew Haydel, and Senior Associate/Studio Director at Gensler, Manan Shah, discussed plans for large floorplate offices, retail, restaurants, and community arts and open spaces.

This fall, Jean Fraser took the helm as CEO of the Presidio Trust. Fraser, a former deputy city attorney, public health executive and SPUR board member, joins the Trust with an eye toward making sure that as America becomes more diverse, the benefits of parks are available to all. Members heard about her vision for stewardship of this unique national park.

With so much going on in downtown Oakland it is hard to believe that we haven't seen a new tower go up – yet. Alex Waterbury, President of Lennar MultiFamily Northern California, came to SPUR to talk about plans in the works for a 33­-story, 254­-unit residential high rise community at 17th & Broadway and a 224-­unit mixed­use community at 19th & Harrison.

San Francisco 49ers Vice President and Executive Director of Community Relations, Joanne Pasternack, discussed the team’s philanthropic engagement in Silicon Valley. The 49ers Foundation supports programs for underserved youth to keep them “Safe, On Track, and in School.” In 2015 it contributed $4 million to nonprofits, including City Year San Jose, the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute. Since its inception in…