Join SPUR for a conversation with Benjamin Schneider, author of The Unfinished Metropolis, moderated by SPUR Transportation Policy Director, Laura Tolkoff. Schneider's book explores how stagnant urban design and historical planning have fueled modern crises like car dependency and housing unaffordability.

Responsibility for wildfire prevention in California is spread across federal, state, and local levels, leading to fragmented land management and uneven mitigation efforts. Cross-jurisdictional wildfire protection districts can strengthen community resilience across the Bay Area. Join SPUR and leaders from the East Bay Wildfire Coalition of Governments, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety to discuss subregional governance models, community-wide risk reduction strategies like Zone Zero, and recommendations from SPUR’s latest wildfire governance report addressing rising risk and the state’s insurance crisis.

California’s high-speed rail project has made major progress across the state, but it has also faced many challenges common to complex projects. The experience from high-speed rail’s development can provide valuable lessons for infrastructure projects everywhere. Join Boris Lipkin, Vice President of Program Development at STV and former Northern California Regional Director for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, as he talks with Sebastian Petty about his 15 years spent working on the project and his recent research and insights into what high-speed rail can teach us about megaproject delivery.

Join strategy consultant and researcher, Matt Biggar, Ph.D., for a lively discussion of his recent book, followed by a panel discussion of systems change on San Francisco’s streets. In Connected to Place: Regenerating Nature, Community, and Local Economies Through Systems Change, Biggar distills his research and work on place-based systems into the why, what, and how of a regional and local approach to systems change. The book offers a positive vision of place-based living for addressing our biggest challenges and shows us how we can get there, engaging both the heart and the head.

Start 2026 by connecting with fellow urbanists, SPUR members, policy leaders, and SPUR staff at our San José social, where you’ll share your urbanist dreams for San José and the Bay Area, hear what SPUR is focused on in 2026. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or brand new, come mingle, make new connections, and kick off the year inspired—SPUR members will also receive a complimentary drink ticket as a thank-you for being part of our community.

Join Myrna Melgar, Supervisor of San Francisco’s District 7, for a guided walking tour of the Inner Sunset. Supervisor Melgar will share insights on current priorities in District 7, neighborhood challenges and opportunities, and how city policy intersects with everyday community spaces.

MIT's City Science research group is developing a data-enabled engagement platform to help San Francisco visualize and analyze the impact of new housing zoning policies. Join MIT and SPUR to learn about how this tool could foster a more equitable and resilient city through transparent data.