Go Big and Go Home: Why the Housing Bonus Program Is Good for SF
By Kristy Wang, Community Planning Policy DirectorOn June 13, Mayor Lee and Supervisor Tang’s Affordable Housing Bonus Program heads to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee. The program has come under fire from both housing advocates and neighborhood opponents. Recently, Supervisors Mar and Peskin announced a competing proposal. But we still think the original plan is the way to go. Here’s why.
Three Ways Downtown San Jose Just Got a Lot More Urban
By Laura Tolkoff, San Jose Policy DirectorIn the past few weeks, San Jose has taken three big steps toward creating a more urban and active downtown. These milestones took place with little fanfare, but we think they’re worth celebrating.
Governor Brown’s Solution to the Affordability Crisis: Allow New Housing “By Right”
By Kristy Wang, Community Planning Policy DirectorIn May, Governor Jerry Brown proposed streamlining the approvals process for multi-family housing developments that are built in urbanized areas and include affordable housing. If the proposal passes, eligible housing projects would be approved “by right,” and not subject to local approval or review under CEQA. The governor's proposal is not a panacea, but it is a practical, modest step in the right direction .
Saint Clare Coffee Comes to the SPUR Urban Center
By Allison Arieff, Editorial DirectorSPUR’s forums bring hundreds of people to our building each week, and we've seen how lively the interactions before and after those events can be. Now there’s a place to continue the conversation: We've opened a new café, Saint Clare Coffee, in the ground floor of the SPUR Urban Center. SPUR's Allison Arieff spoke with Saint Clare’s founder, Kevin Bohlin , about his newest venture.
Regional Agencies Take a Step Closer to Merging
By Egon Terplan, Regional Planning DirectorLast week, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments took a major step toward more comprehensive regional planning. A joint committee of the two agencies endorsed a full organizational merger . After reviewing seven proposed merger options, the committee voted to support one that would make all ABAG and MTC staff part of the same organizational and management structure.
High-Speed Rail Gets Real for the Bay Area
By Danielle Glaser, San Jose Intern, and Laura Tolkoff, San Jose Policy DirectorThis year, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that the first segment of high-speed rail will connect the Central Valley to San Jose, instead of Los Angeles. The Bay Area will become the proving ground for how high-speed rail can transform California’s cities. What do we need to do to get it right?
How the Bay Area Became America’s Symbol for a Housing Crisis
Robert Joseph of Tipping Point recently sat down with SPUR President Gabriel Metcalf to discuss how the housing market came to be what it is, what we can do to fix it and how policy changes and philanthropy can help.
Prioritizing the “Public” in Public Benefits for Central SoMa
By Kristy Wang, Community Planning Policy DirectorWhat matters most as San Francisco works to develop a neighborhood plan for the Central SoMa district? According to an analysis by city staff, changing zoning rules to allow taller buildings in the area — when combined with existing fees and requirements — could generate approximately $2 billion for public benefits. How should those dollars be dedicated? SPUR weighs in.
Time to Plan Big for the Future of Downtown Oakland
By Robert Ogilvie, Oakland DirectorPublic and private investment have sparked a renaissance in downtown Oakland, but as the attention and interest grow, downtown finds itself in a bind. The current revival hasn’t been strong enough to attract new construction, and institutions, residents and businesses are being displaced. The Downtown Oakland Specific Plan, now in process, provides an opportunity to address displacement and think big about the future of downtown.
A Boom, and a Turning Point, for Downtown San Jose
By Laura Tolkoff, San Jose Policy Director, and Danielle Glaser, San Jose Policy InternThirty years ago, few people could have imagined that downtown San Jose would be taking off like it is today. In the last year, 659 new units of housing came on the market and more than 1,900 are under construction. This is what a generation of city leaders has been working toward, and the excitement is both palpable and well deserved. But it’s also fragile.