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

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High-Speed Rail Gets Real for the Bay Area

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This 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?​

Prioritizing the “Public” in Public Benefits for Central SoMa

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What 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

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Public 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.

Local Coastal Program (LCP) Open House April 19

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Join SPUR and representatives from a host of federal, state, and local agencies at an Open House on April 19 to hear updates on the amendment to the Local Coastal Program.

Why a Sales Tax Is San Jose’s Best Chance to Restore Services

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The San Jose City Council has placed a quarter-cent sales tax on the June ballot. The increase would yield a projected $40 million in annual revenue to support police, fire and emergency response, parks and other basic services. Measure B is one of best ways the city can restore needed services that were cut during the recession. SPUR urges voters to support it.

A Boom, and a Turning Point, for Downtown San Jose

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Thirty 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.

Support Santa Clara County Parks: Vote Yes on Measure A

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This June, voters in Santa Clara County will be asked to modestly increase the portion of the county general fund dedicated to parks. The ballot measure would update the Park Charter Fund. Because a strong parks system is critical to a strong greenbelt and to maintaining a high quality of life in and around San Jose , SPUR recommends a “Yes” vote on Measure A.

Shaping Our Transit Destiny: Four Questions for the South Bay

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Planning for the transit service we want involves many choices and tradeoffs, with far-reaching implications for our quality of life. Being clear about what we are choosing between helps us make better decisions. The new Transit Choices Report from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) clearly lays out the next big transit choices for the South Bay.

2016 Good Government Awards: How Robert Smuts Transformed SF's Emergency Communications

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The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Roberts Smuts for turning around the Department of Emergency Management and dramatically increasing the chances that a 9-1-1 call will be answered within 10 seconds or less.

2016 Good Government Awards: How Greg Kato Raised $500 Million in Business Tax Revenues

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The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Greg Kato for rolling out the gross receipts tax, a restructuring of the business tax that increased the number of taxpayers from 7,000 to over 15,000 and raised revenues to $500 million per year.

2016 Good Government Awards: How Diana Hammons Made Muni Free for Youth and Seniors

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The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Diana Hammons f o r implementing the Free Muni for Youth program​, which later expanded to include seniors and people with disabilities and now serves approximately 100,000 low-income San Francisco residents​.

2016 Good Government Awards: How Jane Gong Helps Small Businesses Succeed

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The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Jane Gong for launching the San Francisco Business Portal, an online tool that streamlines the permitting process to open and grow a business in San Francisco.

Are We Headed for an Economic Correction? Bay Area Experts Weigh In

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What will happen with the economy in the year ahead? Are we in for a correction or recession? Every year, SPUR’s Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee gathers expert economists to try to answer these kinds of questions. The expertise of independent economists and experts from key sectors — including real estate, hospitality and retail — helps the city staff develop revenue projections for San Francisco’s budget.

Oakland’s Plan for Facing the Housing Crisis Head On

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Oakland is experiencing a housing crisis that threatens to irrevocably change the city. Part of the problem is the imbalance between job growth and housing supply. Last year, Mayor Schaaf assembled a Housing Implementation Cabinet of housing experts, advocates and practitioners to look at the issue. Last week, the cabinet released its action plan to preserve 17,000 existing homes and create 17,000 new ones.

Save the Bay Again: Vote Yes on Measure AA

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Measure AA, on the June ballot in all nine Bay Area counties, is a $12 parcel tax dedicated to protecting and restoring San Francisco Bay. This is a historic opportunity for the Bay Area to vote as a region and raise local revenue to protect our signature natural resource. It’s our generation’s chance to save the Bay — while there’s still time.

Holding the Line on Sprawl in Santa Clara County

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Pressure for development at the urban edge of the Bay Area is growing. At the end of 2015, the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy in southern Santa Clara County both proposed expanding their city boundaries into farmland. Upcoming decisions on these proposals, which county analysts have called reminiscent of a bygone era, will set an important precedent for the county’s next phase of growth.

How to Pay for Transportation When the System Is Broken

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Santa Clara County’s proposed transportation sales tax has been politically contentious. But the reality is, transportation investments have not kept up with job and population growth. Meanwhile, federal and state funding for transportation has declined. We will need better transportation infrastructure in order to enjoy continued prosperity and a high quality of life — and we’re going to have to make these investments locally.