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February 18, 1998 SPUR Report Zoning for More Housing
Proposed changes to San Francisco's Planning Code and Zoning Map
March 1, 1998 SPUR Report The Central Waterfront
One answer to San Francisco's housing crisis
July 1, 1998 SPUR Report Planning for Parks Renaissance
Management recommendations to fix our parks
September 1, 1998 SPUR Report Planning for Parks Renaissance
September 16, 1998 SPUR Report Rethinking Parking
Increasing housing affordability through changes in parking requirements
January 1, 1999 Interview An Interview With Dorothy Erskine
A founder of SPUR and Greenbelt Alliance
February 1, 1999 Interview Interview: John Hirten
SPUR's first Executive Director
March 1, 1999 Article Fifty Years of Redevelopment
Lessons for the future
March 1, 1999 SPUR Report Building Department Review and Inspection
Reducing the Uncertainty and Increasing the Efficiency
May 1, 1999 Article Establishing the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
How SPUR helped establish our local national park
May 1, 1999 Interview Interview: John Jacobs
SPUR's second Executive Director
June 1, 1999 Article The Muni Paradox
A social history of the Municipal Railway
June 1, 1999 Interview The Last Time We Tried to Fix Muni
Interview with John Kirkwood
June 1, 1999 SPUR Report Transportation Principles for San Francisco
A framework to guide our transit-first policies
July 1, 1999 Article More Density, More Parks
How to build a sustainable city
July 1, 1999 Article The High-Rise Hegira
From nostalgia for the good old days to mandatory Postmodernism
July 1, 1999 Article Proposition M and the Downtown Growth Battle
Do high-rises create a healther economy?
July 1, 1999 Article More Density — With Nature — Means a Healthy Future
A vision for reshaping the city with more density and open space
August 1, 1999 Article Specific Area Plans
Building consensus for infill housing
August 1, 1999 Article San Francisco's Downtown Plan
Landmark guidelines shape city's growth
August 1, 1999 Article The San Francisco Urban Design Element
September 1, 1999 Article Smart Region, Smart Growth
A smart growth alternative to the 1998 Regional Transportation Plan
September 1, 1999 Article Forecasting the Future
How to use multiple projections to positively shape regional growth
September 1, 1999 Interview An Interview with Joe Bodovitz
An interview with former SPUR deputy director Joe Bodovitz
October 1, 1999 Article Evaluating the New City Charter
A three-year report card
October 1, 1999 Article A Living Wage for San Francisco
Recommendations for drafting a responsible measure
October 1, 1999 Article Renewal to Research
A Brief History of the Changing R in SPUR
November 1, 1999 Article The Public Trust Doctrine
San Francisco's waterfront
November 1, 1999 Article The Decline of the Port
A look at the transformation of the Port of San Francisco
November 1, 1999 SPUR Report California High Speed Rail Project
SPUR's call to action
January 1, 2000 Article Victory on Muni Reform
The creation of the SFMTA
January 1, 2000 Article Navigating That Last Tenth of a Mile
Property rights and service choice in the new telecom market
January 1, 2000 Interview Chinatown(s)
A Conversation with David Lee, Exec. Director of the Chinese American Voter Education Committee
February 1, 2000 Voter Guide March 2000 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the March 2000 ballot
February 1, 2000 Article "Glocalization," Regionalism and District Elections
Reflections on San Francisco Politics in the Year 2000
February 1, 2000 Article District Elections in San Francisco
What will change and how?
March 1, 2000 Article City Carshare
Providing cars without encouraging over-use
March 1, 2000 Article Sustaining a Livable City in the New Millennium
Parking, transit and other issues to resolve in making a livable city
March 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Recreation and Parks, Bond Measure
March 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition B - California Academy of Sciences, Bond Measure
March 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Open Space Fund, Charter Amendment
March 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Board of Supervisors Health and Retirement Benefits, Charter Amendment
March 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Public Assistance Benefits, Ordinance
March 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Bayview Hunter's Point Reparations, Declaration of Policy
April 19, 2000 SPUR Report What's Next for Muni
Recommendations for the new agency
May 1, 2000 Article A Dilemma for "Sustainable Regionalists"
Or, the real reason to strengthen regional governance
May 1, 2000 Article Redesigning Harvey Milk Plaza
Envisioning a civic memorial
May 17, 2000 Article The Future of Visitacion Valley
Advocating for transit-oriented development
May 17, 2000 SPUR Report Better Parks in San Francisco
An action plan for the Department of Parks and Recreation
June 1, 2000 Article Changing Roles of Urban Parks
From Pleasure Garden to Open Space
July 1, 2000 SPUR Report San Francisco Economy
Implications for Public Policy
July 19, 2000 SPUR Report Reducing Uncertainty, Increasing Efficiency
Reforming the building approval process
July 19, 2000 SPUR Report SOMA Transportation and the Land Use Connection
Making the transportation and land use connection
September 1, 2000 Article The Next Stage of Ecological Urban Design
Integrating features of our natural landscape into practice
September 1, 2000 Interview It Takes a City
Thoughts from Arlene Ackerman and Kathleen Turner
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition A - $106 Million Branch Library Bond Measure
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition B - District Staff for Board of Supervisors (keep 3rd aide)
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Pension Benefits for Misc. County and City Employees
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Continue Children's Fund
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Medical Benefits for Retirees
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Propositions F and G - Saturday Closure of JFK Drive
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Pass-Through of Costs to Residential Tenants
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Business Tax
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Tax Payer Protection Amendment
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Propositions K and L - Competing Growth Conrol Reform Measures
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition M - Taxi Measure
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition N - Regulating Condo-type Ownership Structures (TICs)
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition O - Campaign Finance Reform (Public Funding, Soft Money Restrictions)
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition P - Hunter's Point Shipyard Remediation
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition Q - Pedestrian Safety Fund
November 1, 2000 Ballot Measure Proposition R - Pier 45 Policy Preference
November 7, 2000 Voter Guide November 2000 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2000 ballot
January 1, 2001 Article Reinventing Government in San Francisco
Reforms for a better city
January 1, 2001 Article The Special Assistant Problem
Why we need to reform the civil service system
January 1, 2001 Article Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Solving the City's Deferred Maintenance Problem
Proposals for putting more funds into maintaining infrastructure
January 1, 2001 Article Some Thoughts on District Elections and the New Progressive Majority
January 1, 2001 Interview Small Steps Toward a Better City
An interview with City Controller Ed Harrington
January 1, 2001 SPUR Report The Next Step in Muni Reform
A Citywide Plan for Transit Expansion
February 1, 2001 Article Public/Private Partnerships 101:
Lessons about management and negotiation
March 1, 2001 Article Two Decades of Change
The Education of Gerald Adams
March 1, 2001 Article Towards a More Perfect Union
Thoughts on Union Square
March 1, 2001 Article The Social and Physical Fabric of Place
Architecture in the scope of planning
March 1, 2001 Article What Is a City?
Fourteen San Franciscans offer their views on what makes a good city
April 1, 2001 SPUR Report Building More Secondary Units
A Painless Way to Increase the Supply of Housing
May 1, 2001 Article Where to Put the Bay Area's Next Million?
Creating mixed-use centers on transit to fix housing and car reliance
May 1, 2001 Article Towards Transit-Oriented Development
Stopping sprawl in the Bay Area
May 1, 2001 Article Strategic Regional Decision-Making
Making decisions focused on regional welfare not parochial interests
May 1, 2001 Article Sprawling Beyond the Edges
The eras of outward sprawl in the Bay Area and what comes next
June 1, 2001 Article Ecological Parks
A talk by Michael Boland at the SPUR Citizen Planning Institute
June 1, 2001 Article Sustainable Redevelopment for San Francisco
Strategies for moving forward
June 1, 2001 SPUR Report Green Buildings
Bringing Environmentally Sensitive Design To San Francisco 
June 20, 2001 SPUR Report Planning for Growth
A proposal to expand the city's transit impact development fee
June 21, 2001 Article Planning for Growth
Three proposals for the temporary modification of Prop. M
July 1, 2001 Article Reforming Local Government
How can San Francisco make the most of its public resources?
July 1, 2001 Article San Francisco by the Numbers
Planning after the 2000 Census
July 1, 2001 Article The 2000 Census: By the Tract
How demographics of San Francisco’s neighborhoods changed in the 1990s
September 1, 2001 Article Ecological Design, Urban Places, and the Culture of Sustainability
Can city-building foster a culture of sustainability?
September 1, 2001 Article Learning from the City
October 1, 2001 Voter Guide November 2001 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2001 ballot
October 1, 2001 Article City of Safety
Planning in the age of terrorism
October 1, 2001 Article City of Safety
Planning in the age of terrorism
November 1, 2001 Article San Francisco's Response to the Housing Crisis
An update on recent policies
November 1, 2001 Article San Francisco’s Utilities in the 21st Century
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Proposition A - San Francisco Community College District General Obligation Bonds
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Renewable Energy Bonds
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Land Fill in San Francisco Bay
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Ethics, Elections, Outside Counsel
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Propositions F and I - Public Power
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Redistricting
November 1, 2001 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Revenue Bonds, Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation
January 2, 2002 Article Muni's Vision for Rapid Transit
A transit expansion proposal for San Francisco
January 16, 2002 SPUR Report Mid-Market Street Redevelopment District
A plan for incremental change
February 1, 2002 Voter Guide March 2002 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the March 2002 ballot
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Instant Run-Off Voting
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition B - City Retiree Cost of Living
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Non-Citizens as Members of Boards, Commissions and Advisory Bodies
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Appointments to Planning Commission and Board of Appeals
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Survivor Benefits for Domestic Partners of City & County Employees Previously Excluded
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Citizen General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee
March 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Ban on New Billboards
July 17, 2002 SPUR Report Homelessness in a Progressive City
Targeting causes, proposing solutions
August 2, 2002 SPUR Report San Francisco’s Affordable Housing Bond
The success of Proposition A
October 1, 2002 Voter Guide November 2002 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2002 ballot
November 1, 2002 Article Timing Is Everything
Instant run-offs, election timing and voter turnout
November 1, 2002 Article Only in San Francisco?
The city's political culture in comparative perspective
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Water Bonds
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Affordable Housing Bonds
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Veterans Building Bonds
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Energy
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Water and Sewer Rates, Surplus Funds
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Entertainment Commission Appointments
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Election Assistance
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Police and Firefighter Retirement Benefits
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Paid Parental Leave
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Supervisors' Salaries
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Selection of Official Newspapers
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition L - Real Property Transfer Tax
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition M - Economic Development
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition N - Care not Cash
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition O - Providing Services and Payments to Homeless Individuals
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition P - Revenue Bond Oversight Committee
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition Q - Use of City Funds
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition R - Condominium Conversion with Certain Conditions
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition S - Medical Marijuana
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Measure BB - BART Seismic Retrofit General Obligation Bond
November 1, 2002 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Vacancy in Elective Office
January 1, 2003 Article A History of Ever-changing Rincon Hill
The evolution of a neighborhood
February 1, 2003 Article An Open Letter to the Left
What can we do better?
February 1, 2003 Article An Open Letter to the Business Community
What can we do better?
February 1, 2003 Article Economic Indicators
The current state of our local economy
March 1, 2003 Article Community Vision/Regional Action
Community Vision, Regional Action
March 1, 2003 Article San Francisco's Housing Crisis
A response by the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition's
March 1, 2003 Article The California Futures Network
A strategy for a new statewide smart growth group
May 1, 2003 Article Crisis and Opportunity in the City Budget
An in-depth view and principles for reform
June 1, 2003 Article Natural Space, Social Space
July 1, 2003 Article From a Distance
Reflections on neighborhood planning
July 1, 2003 Article Democracy and Planning
What is the most democratic way to make planning decisions?
July 1, 2003 Article Supervisors as Planners
How will this affect the City's abillity to achieve good planning?
July 1, 2003 Article More CEQA Delays?
And their impact on infill housing
July 1, 2003 Article Large Retail Commercial Sites in San Francisco: Issues and Opportunities
Issues and opportunities
August 1, 2003 Article Deregulation, Re-Regulation and California's Energy Future
Lessons learned, moving forward
August 1, 2003 Article The Ecological Footprint of Energy
Local opportunities for a responsible energy policy
August 1, 2003 Article Finding a Site for a Power Plant
Where should the City site its new combustion turbines?
August 1, 2003 Article Choosing San Francisco's Energy Future
Options for a more renewable portfolio
September 1, 2003 Article Projections 2003: A Review and Critique
Assessing changes to regional growth projections
September 1, 2003 Article ABAG and MTC: Closer to Coordination?
Assessing recent attempts to better link ABAG and MTC
September 1, 2003 Article Bay Area Regionalism - Can We Get There?
Assessing regionalism’s prospects, 20 years after Bay Vision 2020
September 1, 2003 Article Case Study in Regional Planning: Portland's Metro Council
How and why regional government works in Portland, Oregon
September 1, 2003 Article On the Level
Improving regional transportation planning
September 1, 2003 Article What Is a Parkway?
Designing more sustainable highways
October 1, 2003 Voter Guide November 2003 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2003 ballot
November 1, 2003 Article Vancouver's View Corridors
Should San Francisco adopt similar guidelines?
November 1, 2003 Article The Vancouver Style
What makes this city special?
November 1, 2003 Article A Walk in Stanley Park
How does it measure up?
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition A - School Bond
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Retirement Benefits for Safety Employees
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Ethics Reform
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Targeted Early Retirement
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Rainy Day Fund
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Police Commission/Office of Citizen Complaints
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Child Care for Low Income Families
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Facilities for the Homeless
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Transportation Sales Tax
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition L - Minimum Wage
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition M - Aggressive Panhandling Ban
November 1, 2003 Ballot Measure Proposition N - Taxi Permit Holder Disability
November 1, 2003 Article The Importance of Learning from Other Places
Can Vancouver show us the way forward?
November 1, 2003 Article Sex, Planning, and Rock and Roll (in Vancouver)
How these Canadians get things passed
January 1, 2004 Article Replacing Doyle Drive
Past and present solutions
January 1, 2004 Article Remaking the Presidio's Main Parade Ground
A vision for a dynamic public open space
January 1, 2004 Article Changing the Rules
Toward a streamlined solar permitting process
January 1, 2004 Interview An Interview with Brian O'Neill
February 1, 2004 Article Business Taxes in San Francisco
This article appeared in the February, 2004 issue of the SPUR newsletter.
February 1, 2004 Article The City's Budget 2003 - 2005
Projections for city budget challenges in 2003-2005
February 6, 2004 Voter Guide March 2004 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the March 2004 ballot
February 18, 2004 SPUR Report Housing Above Retail
Incentives for replacing single-story retail sites
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Transfer of Vacation and Sick Leave
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Retirement Benefits: DAs & Public Defenders
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Police Staffing Level
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Retirement Benefits: Domestic Partners
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Public Records Requests
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Reclassify Deputy Sheriffs
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Military Leave Compensation
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Public Education Fund
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition I - MUNI Diesel Bus Replacement
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Workforce Housing
March 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition RM2 - Bridge Toll Increase
March 1, 2004 SPUR Report Planning Department Reform Agenda
Planning the City's Future
May 1, 2004 Article How to Turn a Parking Lot Into Apartments, a Library and a Grocery Store — the Hard Way
May 1, 2004 Article Why Can't New Buildings Be as Nice as Old Buildings?
It's the ceiling heights, for one thing
June 1, 2004 Article City of Children
June 1, 2004 Article Bicycling and the City
The joys of living car-free
July 1, 2004 Article Regional Planning Without Regional Government
The San Diego Association of Governments has achieved a remarkable degree of integration over the years. Should we follow its lead?
July 1, 2004 Article Edge, Encounter, Common Ground: Borders and the Public Realm
The U.S./Mexico Border Station may not be a walk in the park, but it has a lot to teach us about how we design - and manage - our public spaces
July 1, 2004 Article South Coast City
What San Francisco can learn from San Diego
July 21, 2004 SPUR Report Promoting Homeownership Through Condominium Conversion
A closer look at condominium conversion
August 1, 2004 Article Earthquakes: San Francisco at Risk
The City has failed in its efforts to address earthquake preparedness so far, but a recent report has many of the answers
September 1, 2004 Article Traffic Calming in Three European Cities
Lessons from Zurich, Vienna and Munich
September 1, 2004 SPUR Report Multimodal Planning at MTA
Five years after the passage of Proposition E, it's time for the City to take the next step in transportation reform.
October 1, 2004 SPUR Report Parking and Livability in Downtown San Francisco
Policies to reduce congestion
November 1, 2004 Voter Guide November 2004 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2004 ballot
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Supportive and Affordable Rental Housing and Homeownership Bond
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Neighborhood Historical Resources Preservation Bond
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Health Service System
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Multiple-Subject Charter Amendment
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Increasing Retirement Benefits to Qualified Survivors of Certain Police And Firefighters Who Die In The Line Of Fire
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition C - City Services Auditor
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Small Business Commission
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Non-Citizen Voting in School Board Elections
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Authorizing Health Plans for City Residents
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Naming The City-Owned Stadium "Candlestick Park"
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Create an Office of Economic Analysis; Economic Development Plan
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Sales Tax Increase
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Business Taxes
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition L - Use of Hotel Surcharge to Preserve Single-Screen Movie Theaters
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition N - Military Action in Iraq
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition O - Use of New Sales Tax Funds
November 1, 2004 Ballot Measure Proposition AA - BART General Obligation Bond
January 1, 2005 Article Making Development Pay for the Public Realm
The results of a Rincon Hill study commissioned by SPUR get us closer to understanding how high developer fees can go before making development infeasible.
January 3, 2005 SPUR Report The Big Fix
Capital planning and city government
February 1, 2005 Article Measure 37 Passes
Will Oregon property rights measure come to California?
March 1, 2005 Article HOPE VI in San Francisco
A progress report
May 16, 2005 SPUR Report Reforming the Department of Human Resources
Improving civil service delivery in San Francisco
May 18, 2005 SPUR Report Reversing Muni's Downward Spiral
Increasing Muni's speed and productivity
June 1, 2005 Article Eco City, San Francisco
July 1, 2005 Article Fixing San Francisco’s Contracting Process
August 1, 2005 Article More Than a Plan, Less Than a Place
An assessment for Mission Bay
August 1, 2005 Article The Greening of Mission Bay
What’s going right, what could be better
August 1, 2005 Article From Railyard to Neighborhood: The Rise of Mission Bay
How Mission Bay emerged from plan to development
September 1, 2005 Article Estimating the External Costs of Driving in San Francisco
The hidden costs of driving
October 1, 2005 Article Don't Blame Me, I Didn't Vote
What can San Francisco do to improve voter participation?
November 1, 2005 Article Civic Planning in Portland
Perfecting the art of citizen-based policy research
November 1, 2005 Article Pragmatism Before Megaprojects
Ten transportation lessons from Portland
November 1, 2005 Ballot Analysis November 2005 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2005 ballot
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Community College District General Obligation Bonds
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Street and Sidewalk Improvement Bond
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Ethics Commission Budget and Outside Counsel
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Appointments of Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Election Date of the Assessor-Recorder and Public Defender
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Neighborhood Firehouses
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Access to Underground Parking at Golden Gate Park
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Handgun Ban in San Francisco
November 1, 2005 Ballot Measure Proposition I - No Military Recruiters in Public Schools, Scholarships for Education, and Job Training
November 1, 2005 Article Don’t Blame Me, I Didn’t Vote
What can San Francisco do to improve voter participation?
November 1, 2005 Article They Planned, It Worked
Learning from Portland’s collaborative approach to local governance
November 1, 2005 Article The Character of a City
Reading Public Art in Portland
January 18, 2006 SPUR Report Muni's Billion Dollar Problem
How to fix Muni's fiscal crisis
February 1, 2006 SPUR Report Form and Reform
Fixing the California Environmental Quality Act
May 1, 2006 Article Why Does San Francisco Have So Few Families?
Comparing San Francisco to Other U.S. Cities
May 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition A – Homicide Prevention Plan; Survivor Assistance; Funding for Violence Prevention Program
May 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition B – Eviction Disclosure Ordinance
May 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition C – Appointing Members to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority
May 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition D – Laguna Honda Hospital, Zoning for Health Care Facilities
May 1, 2006 Voter Guide June 2006 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the June 2006 ballot
July 1, 2006 Article The imagined city: Burnham's Vision
July 1, 2006 Article San Francisco, To Scale
July 1, 2006 Article Of Buried Creeks and Thwarted Plans
July 1, 2006 Article Is Master Planning Possible Today?
July 5, 2006 Article The Burnham Plan for San Francisco: A Model For Master Planning?
July 6, 2006 Article Green Envy Revisited
August 1, 2006 Article The Tortoise and the Hare
Comparing the Chicago and San Francisco economies
August 1, 2006 Article The Chicago Central Area Plan
August 1, 2006 Article The Chicago Political System
Is it possible to have good planning without good government?
August 5, 2006 Article A Mixed Legacy: Public Housing and HOPE VI Redevelopment in Chicago
October 9, 2006 Voter Guide November 2006 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2006 ballot
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition A - School Improvement Bonds
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Parental Leave and Teleconferencing for Public Officials
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Setting Salaries of Certain Elected Officials
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Nondisclosure of Private Information
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Parking Tax
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Paid Sick Leave
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Limitations on Formula Retail Stores
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Relocation Benefits
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Mayor's Appearance at Board of Supervisors
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Impeachment of Bush and Cheney
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Senior Housing Declaration of Policy
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition 1A - State Gas Tax Changes
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition 1B - State Transportation and Infrastructure Bonds
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition 1C - Housing and Emergency Shelter Bonds
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition 1D - State Education Bonds
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition 84 - Clean Water, Parks and Coastal Protection Bonds
November 1, 2006 Ballot Measure Proposition 90 - Government Acquisition and Regulation of Private Property
November 7, 2006 SPUR Report Integrated Stormwater Management
An ecological approach to street design
January 1, 2007 Article Form Foils Function
How our process prevents real planning — and what we can do about it
January 22, 2007 SPUR Report SPUR Endorses the Public/Private Delivery of Wi-Fi in San Francisco
February 1, 2007 Article Dean Macris: Toward a better city
SPUR's executive director interviews San Francisco's planning chief
March 1, 2007 Article What's the Correct Balance Between Housing and Jobs?
Residential development in downtown Vancouver
March 1, 2007 Article Framing the Future of Downtown San Francisco
How we can bring more jobs into the region's most transit-rich employment center
May 1, 2007 Article Civic Planning in America
Toward a politics of place
June 1, 2007 SPUR Report Hard Choices at the Port of San Francisco
Can the waterfront be saved?
June 1, 2007 Article Keeping California on Track
Why we need high-speed rail
June 20, 2007 SPUR Report New Connections
Why San Francisco needs the Central Subway
July 1, 2007 SPUR Report A New Transit-First Neighborhood
A new neighborhood where Caltrain meets the new Central Subway
July 1, 2007 SPUR Report Planning the City's Future
An update on the 2004 AIA/SPUR agenda for reform
July 18, 2007 SPUR Report Planning the City's Future
Reforming the City's Planning Department
September 1, 2007 Article Art: What is it good for?
Every day urban life finds a counterpoint in Seattle’s public art initiatives
September 1, 2007 Patri Fellowship Report Envisioning Warmwater Cove
Piero N. Patri Fellowship in Urban Design at SPUR Summary Report
September 1, 2007 Article Neighborhood planning in a regional context
A heightened sense of regionalism influences both civic culture and planning law in Seattle
September 1, 2007 Article Planning in Seattle: Small Town City
Seattle has shied away from sweeping public planning as a solution to big problems. Still, San Francisco has much to learn from Seattle’s approach to neighborhoods, industrial lands and capital infrastructure.
September 1, 2007 Article Sustainable Infrastructure as Interpreted by Seattle
The Emerald City’s green-tinted take on strategies for integrated capital investment
September 1, 2007 Article Some transportation lessons from Seattle
Four things San Francisco can learn about buses, freeways, culture and carbon dioxide.
October 1, 2007 Voter Guide November 2007 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2007 ballot
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Muni Reform
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Limiting Commissioner Hold-Over
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Election Sunshine/ Ballot Reform
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Renewing Library Set-aside
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Question Time
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Airport Police Retirement Benefits
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Golden Gate Park Stables Fund
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Parking Initiative
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Small Business Assistance Center
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition J - WiFi Policy Statement
November 1, 2007 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Street Ads
November 1, 2007 Article The Northern California Megaregion
It's time to start solving problems at the scale of the megaregion
November 20, 2007 SPUR Report Affordable by Design
How to create middle-income housing in San Francisco
January 1, 2008 Voter Guide February 2008 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the February 2008 ballot
January 16, 2008 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on “Peaker” Combustion Turbine Power Plants
Letter urging the SF Board of Supervisors to reject a contract to install and operate “peaker” plants
January 16, 2008 SPUR Report Setting Aside Differences
Should the City budget be decided at the polls?
February 1, 2008 Article Muni on the Rise
An overview of the Transit Effectiveness Project
February 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Parks Bond
February 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Police Deferred Retirement Option
February 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Alcatraz Global Peace Center
February 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 91 - Transportation Funding Restrictions
February 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 92 - Community College Set Aside
February 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 93 - State Term Limit Modification
March 1, 2008 Interview New Views of the City
An interview with three new department heads
May 1, 2008 Voter Guide June 2008 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the June 2008 ballot
May 1, 2008 Article Getting Sustainability Out of the Gutters
A guide to evaluating the sewer system master plan
June 1, 2008 Article An Eye on the Street
What's ailing San Francisco's residential streets?
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 98 - Eminent Domain and Rent Control
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 99 - Eminent Domain Restriction
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition A - School Restriction Parcel Tax
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Retiree Health Care Reform
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Moral Turpitude
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Diversity on City Commissions
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition E - SFPUC Commissioner Appointments
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Affordable Housing in Bayview Hunters Point
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Bayview Hunters Point Development Plan
June 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Campaign Contribution Limits
June 18, 2008 SPUR Report / One of a series The Culture of Preparedness
Disaster planning and preparedness in San Francisco neighborhoods
July 1, 2008 Article Local Cities, Global Problems
Considering Jane Jacobs in an era of global concerns
July 23, 2008 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on the Regional Transportation Plan 2035
MTC's investment plan of $232 billion over the next 25 years
July 25, 2008 Policy Letter SPUR Supports AB 3034: the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century
Updates and improves the original high-speed rail bond proposal enacted in 2002 and establishes additional financial controls.
July 31, 2008 Article The Long Road Home
Thoughts on the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan
August 1, 2008 Article Can a City Be a Poem?
Thoughts after meeting Toronto's poet laureate
August 1, 2008 Article Dual Identity
Can Toronto become Canada's first creative gateway city?
August 1, 2008 Article The Problem of Affordability
What will it take to make Toronto more livable?
August 1, 2008 Article When SPUR Came to Town
What Toronto outsiders taught an insider about his own city
August 1, 2008 Article Toronto’s Orphan Spaces
August 2, 2008 Article A lesson from Waterfront Toronto
How intergovernmental cooperation restored a public waterfront
August 2, 2008 Article Notes on a city: Looking, listening, lingering and thinking in Toronto
We all have our own ways of processing the tourist experience. Some of us bury ourselves in guide books; others crane their necks to get the best photos; still others take notes. The following is an excerpt from Lawrence Li's latest travel diary, an insightful catalogue of his observations while exploring Toronto.
August 23, 2008 Article San Francisco and Toronto
A geographical comparison
September 1, 2008 Article More Work, Less Waste
Can environmental tax shifting work in San Francisco?
September 1, 2008 SPUR Report Growing Green
How San Francisco can become a leader in the cleantech boom
September 1, 2008 Patri Fellowship Report Imagining Islais Creek
Piero N. Patri Fellowship in Urban Design at SPUR Summary Report
October 1, 2008 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on the Eastern Neighborhoods Transportation Plan
More substantial and specific investment on key neighborhood corridors will vastly enhance our rapid transit network.
October 2, 2008 Voter Guide November 2008 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2008 ballot
October 16, 2008 SPUR Report / One of a series The Hub Concept
Infrastructure for a community disaster response
October 17, 2008 SPUR Report A Mid-life Crisis for Regional Rail
Fifty years after BART, what's next for regional rail?
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 1A - High Speed Rail
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 7 - State Renewable Energy Rules
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 10 - Bond for Vehicle Rebates
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition 11 - New Redistricting Commission
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Hospital Bond
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Affordable Housing Set Aside
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition C - City Employees on Commissions
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Pier 70 Financing and Planning
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Recall Signatures
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Changes to Election Cycles
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Retirement Credit for Unpaid Parental Leave
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Municipalizing Electric Service
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Independent Ratepayer Advocate
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Historic Preservation Commission
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Decriminalizing Prostitution
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition L - Community Justice Center
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition M - Tenant Harassment
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition N - Transfer Tax Increase
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition O - Changes to the Emergency Response Fee
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition P - Modifying the Transportation Authority
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition Q - Changes to the Payroll Tax
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition R - George W. Bush Sewage Plant
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition S - Set Asides Policy
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition T - Substance Abuse Set Aside
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition U - Iraq Funding Policy Statement
November 1, 2008 Ballot Measure Proposition V - JROTC Policy Statement
January 1, 2009 Article Urban Field Notes: Seven Good Things about SF's Multifamily Houses
January 1, 2009 SPUR Report Secrets of San Francisco
Where to find our city's POPOS — privately owned public open spaces
February 1, 2009 SPUR Report / One of a series Defining What San Francisco Needs From Its Seismic Mitigation Policies
February 1, 2009 SPUR Report / One of a series The Dilemma of Existing Buildings
Private property, public risk
February 1, 2009 SPUR Report / One of a series Building It Right the First Time
Improving the seismic performance of new buildings
February 1, 2009 SPUR Report / One of a series Lifelines
Upgrading infrastructures to enhance San Francisco's earthquake resilience
March 1, 2009 Article Urban Field Notes: Seven (of the Many) Wonders at Pier 70's Shipyard
March 2, 2009 SPUR Report The Future of Downtown San Francisco
Bringing work back to the city
May 1, 2009 Voter Guide May 2009 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the May 2009 ballot
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1A - Spending Cap and Increase in Rainy Day Fund
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1C - Selling Bonds From Future Lottery Sales
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1D - Redirecting Portion of Preschool Funding
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1B - Education Funding Protection
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1E - Redirecting Portion of Mental Health Funding
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1F - Restricting Elected Officials' Salaries
May 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition 1A - Spending Cap and Increase in Rainy Day Fund
May 1, 2009 SPUR Report Critical Cooling
San Francisco can fight global warming through smart changes to local policy. What can we do to lead the way?
May 28, 2009 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Recycling and Composting Legislation
Letter urging the SF Board of Supervisors to pass the Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance
June 24, 2009 Policy Letter SPUR Urges the MTA to Adopt the San Francisco Bike Plan
Approve the 56 projects analyzed in the EIR and expedite implementation
July 1, 2009 Article The Ironies of History
Armed with knowledge of the past, how do we move forward with our own urban agenda?
July 1, 2009 Article Reflections on Preservation
How the past became the future
July 1, 2009 Article City of Plans (City of Experiences) in History
What, exactly, makes a "great city"?
July 1, 2009 Article Progress Intentionally Planned
Telesis and the Modernist agenda
August 1, 2009 Article Urban Field Notes: Six Haikus about SF's Renegade Buildings
August 8, 2009 Article The Bay Area Housing Market
Will investors ever return?
August 8, 2009 Article The Cost to Build and Buy Housing in San Francisco
Components of housing price and development costs in San Francisco
August 8, 2009 Article Financing Affordable Rental Housing
A greener path ahead
August 8, 2009 Article Recovery in the Golden State
Rebounding from a cyclical recession
September 1, 2009 Article Urban Field Notes: Some In-Between Spaces Where Homeless Go Home
September 1, 2009 Article The Future of the Bay Delta
Opportunities for megaregional open space
September 1, 2009 Article Megaregions and America’s Economic Recovery
A look at opportunities for megaregional planning across the U.S.
September 1, 2009 Article Job Sprawl in the Megaregion
How can we slow the decentralization of work in Northern California?
September 21, 2009 Voter Guide November 2009 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2009 ballot
October 1, 2009 Interview Making Good Government Better
The city's new budget director talks about his department's role in shaping good policy
October 1, 2009 Article Urban Field Notes: Six Spots in the Mission to Track the Traces of Trains
November 1, 2009 Article Urban Field Notes: Seven Art Deco Treasures in Oakland's City Center
November 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Budget Process
November 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Board of Supervisors Aides
November 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Candlestick Park Naming Rights
November 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Mid-Market Special Sign District
November 1, 2009 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Advertisements on City Property
November 1, 2009 Article Sea Level Rise and the Future of the Bay Area
How will we adapt to rising tides?
November 1, 2009 Article Strategies for Managing Sea Level Rise
SPUR weighs the advantages and disadvantages of seven strategies to manage sea level rise.
December 17, 2009 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Proposed Bridge Toll Increase
Supports the Bay Area Toll Authority's proposed toll increase and encourages funding a study of long-term capacity constraints
January 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Eight Forms of Fortification in our Nation's Capital
January 1, 2010 Article Extending the City Beautiful
Three centuries of city planning in Washington, D.C.
January 1, 2010 Article Thriving TOD
What can we learn from mass transit in D.C. suburbs?
January 2, 2010 Article Washington, D.C. and San Francisco
Geography, population and how we get around
January 6, 2010 Article Learning from Metrorail
Lessons from DC's regional rail system
January 10, 2010 Article The Fall and Rise of Downtown D.C.
The revitalization of downtown, greater downtown and Center City
January 21, 2010 Policy Letter SPUR Weighs in on MTA's Plans for a Balanced Budget
Requests estimates on projected revenue increases and cost savings on several items
February 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Six Encounters with Bay Area Street Art
February 1, 2010 Article Learning From Muni
On the bright side: What's working at the SFMTA
February 1, 2010 Article A Healthier San Francisco
A new paradigm for citywide health care
February 1, 2010 Article Shaping Downtown
An emphasis on placemaking and focused growth
February 1, 2010 Article Participatory Urbanism
Taking action by taking space
February 1, 2010 Article A Small-Box Paradise
How we support thriving neighborhood retail (and where we could do better)
February 1, 2010 Article Bay Area Regional Form and Population Growth
A look at how our region developed over time
February 1, 2010 Article Toward Zero Waste
A look at San Francisco's model recycling policies
February 1, 2010 Article When the Freeways Came Down
Rebuilding after Loma Prieta
March 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Five Chats about Architecture Overheard on the Street
March 1, 2010 Article Water, Water Everywhere
A look at San Francisco's urban water plan
April 1, 2010 Article SPUR's Agenda for Change in San Francisco
Our vision for a San Francisco and a Bay Area at its best, and the steps we should take to get there
May 1, 2010 Interview A Balancing Act
Controller Ben Rosenfield talks about economic booms, busts and their impact on the city budget
May 1, 2010 Voter Guide June 2010 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the June 2010 ballot
June 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Art, Commerce and Hope on View in Nine Storefronts
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Rent Increase Suspensions
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition A - School Capital Repair Special Tax
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Charter Film Commission
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Dignitary Security Budget
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition G - High Speed Rail Terminus at Transbay
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Police and Fire Seismic Retrofit Bond
June 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition D - City Retirement Benefit Costs
June 1, 2010 Article Meeting in the Middle
Why planning needs design once again
June 3, 2010 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on the San Francisco-San Jose High Speed Rail PEIS/EIR
Advocates integration of regional and inter-regional service on the Peninsula between San Jose and San Francisco.
June 7, 2010 SPUR Report Organizing for Economic Growth
A new approach to business attraction and retention in San Francisco
June 28, 2010 Policy Letter SPUR Endorses Plastic Bag Ban
Letter supporting AB 1998 as a necessary step in California’s zero waste goals
July 6, 2010 Article Transportation and Rebuilding
How are we going to rebuild our transportation system after a disaster? Excerpted from a SPUR report
July 6, 2010 SPUR Report / One of a series After the Disaster
Rebuilding our transportation infrastructure
August 1, 2010 Article Transit in the Valley
Can smart land use boost ridership?
August 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Five Elements of Great Urbanism in San Jose
August 1, 2010 Article Waves of Innovation
Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley
August 1, 2010 Article Retrofitting Suburbia, San Jose Style
San Jose planners have a choice: let the city grow out, or up
August 1, 2010 Article Sharing the Wealth
San Jose's plan to capture more jobs
August 1, 2010 Article San Jose and San Francisco at a Glance
Comparing two Bay Area cities by the numbers
September 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Backpacking in SF - Seven Scenes From an Adventure
September 1, 2010 Article DIY Urbanism
Testing the grounds for social change
October 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Eight Bay Area Landmarks Make the Case for Concrete
October 4, 2010 Voter Guide November 2010 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2010 ballot
November 1, 2010 Article Urban Field Notes: Columbarium Is One Rare Place to Connect With the Dead
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition M - Community Policing
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition K - Hotel Tax Loophole Fix
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition I - Saturday Voting Pilot
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition H - Dual Office Holding
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition G - Setting Transit Operator Wages Through Collective Bargaining
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition F - Health Service Board Elections
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition E - Election Day Voter Registration
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition D - Non-Citizen Voting for School Board
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition C - Question Time
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition L - Sit/Lie
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition A - Earthquake Retrofit Bond
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition N - Property Sales Tax
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition AA - $10 vehicle registration fee
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition J - Hotel Tax Increase
November 1, 2010 Ballot Measure Proposition B - Increasing Employee Contributions to Benefits
November 10, 2010 Policy Letter SPUR's Take on Amending the Bay Plan
Balancing strategies for mitigating sea level rise with promoting infill development
December 13, 2010 Policy Letter SPUR Weighs in on New Air Quality Thresholds
Proposed CEQA guidelines would create new hurdle for infill development
January 3, 2011 SPUR Report Beyond the Tracks
How smart land-use planning can reshape California's growth
January 20, 2011 Article 2010: The Year in Urbanism
What happened and what it means for the Bay Area
February 1, 2011 SPUR Report Greening Apartment Buildings
What will it take to green the buildings we already have?
February 18, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Four Iconic Buildings Should Inspire Mid-Market Revival
March 1, 2011 Article Defining Good Government in the New Reality
How can San Francisco deliver core city services in an era of finite resources?
March 1, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Five Painterly Vistas From Kaiser Center Roof Garden
April 1, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Requests Re-direction of Florida High-Speed Rail Funds to California
California is best positioned to deliver the nation's first High Speed Train
April 4, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: 16 Fonts on 16th Street — the City Through a Phone
April 6, 2011 SPUR Report Saving Caltrain for the Long Term
Strategies for funding and governing a critical regional rail system
April 19, 2011 Article The Future of Ocean Beach
Thanks to sea-level rise, a beloved public place already busy with uses becomes even more complex
May 2, 2011 SPUR Report Climate Change Hits Home
Adaptation strategies for the San Francisco Bay Area
May 2, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Five Parking Garages — an Urbanist's Reluctant Crush
June 21, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Weighs in on Regional Growth Scenarios
Comments to the MTC on scenarios for the Bay Area's Sustainable Communities Strategy
July 1, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Trek Links Green Spaces in SF's Emerald Necklace
July 1, 2011 Article A Walk Down Market Street
The story of San Francisco's main drag embodies the history of the city itself.
July 1, 2011 Article Street transformations: Lessons from London, Melbourne and New York
Physical changes at street level can not only make a street work better — they can transform it into a great public space.
July 20, 2011 Article Linked Fortunes: Mid-Market and the Uptown Tenderloin
They thrived together, then declined together. Now these key neighborhoods are primed for a joint revival.
July 20, 2011 Article Four Ways to Transform Mid-Market
Strategies for a vital economy in San Francisco's central district
July 20, 2011 Article What Makes an Arts District Successful?
Cities across the country are using arts districts as a redevelopment tool. Here’s why the best ones work.
August 1, 2011 Article Shanghai Municipality and the Bay Area
The Shanghai Municipality includes 17 districts as well as the city center. At 23 million people and 2,450 square miles, it is more comparable to the Bay Area than to San Francisco.
August 1, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Eight Eras of the Old Town — Shanghai’s Forgotten Zones
August 15, 2011 SPUR Report SPUR 2010-2011 Annual Report
What it means to be an urbanist
August 15, 2011 Article Shanghai’s Regional Economy
What can the Bay Area learn from China's regional approach to economic planning?
August 15, 2011 Article Learning From a World-Class Transit System
Can Shanghai’s high-tech subways and high-speed trains trump its growing love affair with the car?
August 15, 2011 Article Dictatorship, Democracy and Urbanism
SPUR's city trip to Shanghai offered some tough but important lessons for American planners.
August 16, 2011 Article Placemaking in the New and Old City
Is Shanghai the city of the 21st century?
September 1, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Five Local Skate Hubs Show Limits of Sanctioned Design
September 8, 2011 SPUR Report Seeking Green
Funding public parks in a challenging financial climate
October 3, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: SF Sidewalks Are a Trove of Human, Animal Artifacts
October 11, 2011 Voter Guide November 2011 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the November 2011 ballot
November 1, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Articles 10 and 11 of the Planning Code
Regarding historic surveys, districts and CEQA studies
November 1, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Transit Center District Plan
Plan for the continued development of a walkable, transit-friendly downtown core around the new Transbay Transit Center.
November 22, 2011 SPUR Report The Future of Sharp Park
What should San Francisco do with Sharp Park?
November 28, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Central Market Economic Strategy
Recommendations to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development
December 1, 2011 Article Urban Field Notes: Five PG&E Substations Celebrate Light and Sculpture
December 1, 2011 Article Ranked Choice Voting
How ranked-choice voting affected San Francisco's municipal elections in 2011.
December 1, 2011 Article Urban Ag Goes Legit
New legislation makes it legal to grow and sell produce in San Francisco and Oakland
December 1, 2011 Article Prioritizing Neighborhood Schools
Has San Francisco finally gotten its student-assignment system right?
December 1, 2011 Article The Rise of Tactical Urbanism
How a temporary project turned a series of vacant lots into a destination for food, art and culture.
December 1, 2011 Article What's Next for Big Planning?
San Francisco adopted two major plans this year. Will we see more of these in the future?
December 13, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on PUC Urban Agriculture Projects
Regarding proposed pilot projects at College Hill Reservoir and the Southeast Treatment Plant.
December 13, 2011 Policy Letter SPUR Supports the 8 Washington/Sea Wall Lot 351 Project
Letter recommending that the San Francisco Planning Commission support this project
January 7, 2012 Article The Not-So-Corporate Campus
Innovative high-growth companies look to urban-style experiences to energize their workforce
January 9, 2012 SPUR Report The Urban Future of Work
How denser, more urban workplaces will strengthen the Bay Area’s economic competitiveness
January 11, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Expansion of SFpark
Letter endorsing the SFMTA proposal to expand the SFpark pilot model to manage parking at Mission Bay, 17th and Folsom, and 12th and Folsom
January 12, 2012 Article Announcing the Launch of SPUR San Jose
An inside view of the opportunities for change that led us to open an office in Northern California’s largest city, San Jose.
January 23, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Redevelopment Housing Funds Bill
Letter advocating for protection of the existing housing funds of dissolving redevelopment agencies
February 1, 2012 Article Is San Francisco Safe Enough to Stay?
What it will take for residents to live safely in their homes after an earthquake. Excerpted from the SPUR report Safe Enough to Stay
February 1, 2012 SPUR Report / One of a series Safe Enough to Stay
What will it take for San Franciscans to live safely in their homes after an earthquake?
February 6, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Proposed Mixed-Use Residential Development
Letter supporting proposed development at 1 Henry Adams Street and 801 Brannan Street
February 9, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Parking, Awning, Signs, Exposure, Open Space and Limited Conforming Uses Legislation
Letter endorsing legislation that would encourage the addition of beneficial uses while discouraging the creation of excess parking
February 15, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: China's New Biking Culture
What role will the bicycle play in creating a more sustainable future for China? A landscape designer bikes from Beijing to Shanghai to find out.
February 20, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Recreational Open Space Element
Letter recommending to move the current draft of this general plan element forward to adoption
February 28, 2012 SPUR Report Reforming Regional Government
Adjusting county and city representation at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
March 1, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Jefferson Street Project
Phase 1 of the Fisherman’s Wharf Public Realm Plan
March 8, 2012 SPUR Report A Better Future for Bay Area Transit
Nine ways to deliver better transit service, control costs and attract more riders
March 16, 2012 Article Two Transit Maps: The Current Reality and a Possible Future
One mapmaker's vision for a single integrated Bay Area transit map. Plus, what a comprehensive regional transit system might look like.
March 17, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: A Spectacle of Ravens
Sometimes, architecture really is for the birds.
March 17, 2012 Article Six Ideas for Saving Bay Area Transit
Improving transit by changing financing, fares, speeds, metrics, territory and maps. Excerpted from the discussion paper A Better Future for Bay Area Transit
April 3, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Commute Benefits Bill
Letter supporting Senate Bill 1339, which would extend existing local commute benefit ordinances across the region
April 5, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Central Corridor Project
Letter supporting proposed height and zoning scenarios in the Central Corridor Plan
April 17, 2012 Article A Vision for Ocean Beach
Dramatic erosion, rising seas and jurisdictional headaches have taken their toll; SPUR's comprehensive new plan offers hope for a better future
April 17, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: Skyway Patrol
How a desire to stay warm can shape our cities, for better or worse
April 23, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on the Sustainable Communities Strategy and Regional Transportation Plan for the Bay Area
Letter offering recommendations on the Jobs-Housing Connection Scenario and the Draft Plan Bay Area Investment Strategy
April 23, 2012 SPUR Report Public Harvest
Expanding the use of public land for urban agriculture in San Francisco
May 7, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Offers Perspective on Historic Preservation Codes
Letter supporting the version of Planning Code Articles 10 and 11 introduced by Supervisors Wiener and Olague
May 14, 2012 Article Harvesting the City
Expanding the use of public land for urban agriculture in San Francisco. Excerpted from the SPUR report Public Harvest
May 14, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: The Carnegie Libraries of San Francisco
San Francisco's brilliant branch libraries are a bright spot in the rapidly changing realm of books
May 15, 2012 Voter Guide June 2012 Voter Guide
Analysis and recommendations for the June 2012 San Francisco ballot
May 17, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Van Ness BRT Proposal
Letter endorsing the new hybrid proposal for bus rapid transit on Van Ness
May 21, 2012 SPUR Report Ocean Beach Master Plan
A comprehensive vision for a more sustainable future on San Francisco’s Pacific coast
June 3, 2012 Article Diversity Didn’t Cause the Foreclosure Crisis
Solving the problems of the Cities of Carquinez means embracing the subregion's economic, racial, and social diversity.
June 3, 2012 Article The Cities of Carquinez
While these ten cities may not be on everyone's radar, together they represent a tremendous opportunity for long-term growth in the region.
June 3, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: Exploring the Cities of Carquinez
An urban planner finally stops to take a look around — and not just a drive right through — a region in his own backyard.
June 8, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Urban Agriculture Legislation
Letter advocating the Chiu-introduced legislation, which incorporates many of the recommendations in SPUR's report Public Harvest
June 11, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Project Review Committee on 8 Octavia
Letter supporting the proposed residential development at 8 Octavia Street
June 19, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Non-Potable Water Ordinance
Letter supporting an ordinance that will codify process and provide grant funds for onsite treatment and reuse of water
June 26, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Project Review Committee on Parcel P
Letter supporting the proposed development at Parcel P in Hayes Valley
July 2, 2012 SPUR Report SPUR 2011-2012 Annual Report
What it means to live here
July 5, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Modernization of the Wholesale Produce Market
Letter supporting the city's lease renewal and the market's proposed expansion
July 9, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on the Mountain View Draft General Plan
Letter commending the plan as one of the most visionary in the Bay Area
July 10, 2012 Article Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley
Another perk of high-speed rail? Seamlessly connecting two of California's most important economic clusters.
July 10, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: Artifacts of the Waterfront
On San Francisco's central and southern waterfront, evidence of an era gone by.
July 10, 2012 Article Getting High-Speed Rail On Track
For California, high speed rail isn’t just a worthwhile investment, it’s a necessary one. Here’s how we can pay for it.
July 13, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Housing Trust Fund Legislation
Letter urging the SF Board of Supervisors to pass this charter amendment
July 30, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Endorses 100 VanNess Project
Letter supporting proposed residential redevelopment
August 10, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Endorses 8 Octavia Project
Letter supporting the proposed housing development at 8 Octavia
August 14, 2012 Article The Benefits of Big
On a recent visit to Los Angeles, SPUR discovers the benefits — and challenges — of living in a county that encompasses over 4,000 square miles.
August 14, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: Riding the Rainbow
A Trip on L.A.’s Rapidly Growing Rail Network
August 21, 2012 Article A New Course for the L.A. River
Plans are in the works to transform what many think of as a concrete ditch into a sustainable, cultural resource for the region.
August 21, 2012 Article Transit, Transformed
Architecture critic Reyner Banham once quipped that he'd "learned to drive in order to read Los Angeles in the original." Today, he'd ride light rail instead.
August 29, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on 1321 Mission
Letter supporting proposed residential redevelopment at 1321 Mission
September 25, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on San Jose City Hall / 6th Street BRT Station Location
Letter advocating for locating a bus rapid transit station in front of San Jose City Hall
September 25, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on City of Oakland Urban Ag Policy
Letter offering recommendations for strengthening the August 13 draft Zoning Update Proposal
October 1, 2012 SPUR Report, Voter Guide November 2012 Voter Guide
Analysis and voting recommendations for the November 2012 ballot
October 9, 2012 Article A Policy Agenda for the Sharing Economy
The emerging movement of collaborative consumption is redefining the ways goods and services are exchanged, valued and created.
October 10, 2012 Article Smart Cities, Limited Resources
Can we provide public goods more efficiently by pricing them to reflect real-time demand?
October 10, 2012 Article Why Does Civic Data Matter?
A new emphasis is being placed on the availability of open data from governments but what use does this data have for citizens’ daily experience?
October 10, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: Patched
A photographer observes that after the graffiti’s gone, new works of art emerge.
November 2, 2012 Policy Letter SPUR Recommendations for New San Jose Planning Requirements
Letter offering comments for crafting planning requirements that encourage mode-share shifts
November 9, 2012 Article Grand Reductions: 10 Diagrams That Changed City Planning
Many ideas that have most influenced the shape of our cities have been expressed through simple diagrams that have become iconic distillations of values, policy agendas and ideologies
November 9, 2012 Article Urban Field Notes: The Sidewalk Economy
Regulated, informal, sometimes illicit, sidewalk businesses and vendors bring vitality and life to urban cities, especially at the pedestrian scale.
December 4, 2012 SPUR Report Stormwater Fees
An equitable path to a sustainable wastewater system
December 18, 2012 Article In San Francisco, the Boom Is Back
After years of underbuilding, San Francisco is seeing a boom in new housing and commercial construction.
December 18, 2012 Article Federal Government Comes Through on Transportation Funding (Barely)
In July, Congress passed MAP-21, a rare piece of bipartisan legislation to fund surface transportation for two years.
December 18, 2012 Article The Corporate Campus Embraces Urbanization
Google has proposed a new vision for retrofitting its Mountain View campus as a dense and walkable urban place.
December 18, 2012 Article Member Profile: Molly Turner
The director of public policy for Airbnb is a self-described “urban planner moonlighting in the tech world.”
December 20, 2012 Article A Bold New Vision for San Jose
San Jose's forward-thinking new general plan is a model for suburban cities looking to transform to an urban future.
January 8, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Central Corridor Plan
Letter recommending the study of greater heights as part of the upcoming EIR process
January 9, 2013 Article A Sea Change in California Politics?
This was an exciting year for governance in California, as many hard-won reforms were finally implemented.
January 10, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Proposed 101 Polk Street Development
Our Project Review Committee offers recommendations for consideration
January 24, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Proposed Mission Rock Development
Our Project Review Committee offers recommendations for consideration
February 4, 2013 Article Urban Field Notes: A City in the Stairwell
A San Francisco muralist enlivens SPUR’s once-quiet corridors with a colorful celebration of urbanism.
February 6, 2013 Article Putting the Bay Area on Solid Ground
Land use planning for disaster recovery in the Bay Area. Excerpted from the SPUR report On Solid Ground
February 6, 2013 SPUR Report On Solid Ground
How good land use planning can prepare the Bay Area for a strong disaster recovery
February 7, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on the Definition of "Significant Increase"
Letter recommending thresholds for affordable housing fee caps in San Francisco
February 8, 2013 Article Member Profile: Patrick Otellini
Not long ago, Patrick Otellini chose to ignore the unavoidable fact that San Francisco is well overdue for a major earthquake. Today, he’s the city’s director of earthquake safety.
February 20, 2013 SPUR Report Strengthening the Bay Area's Regional Governance
A special analysis for the 2013 Silicon Valley Index
February 27, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Supports High-Rise Incentive Extension in San Jose
Letter encouraging high-density housing in downtown San Jose
March 7, 2013 Article The Future of Water
How Bay Area supply can meet demand in the 21st century. Excerpted from the SPUR report "Future-Proof Water."
March 8, 2013 Article Member Profile: Andres Duany
The architect, author, urban planner and father of New Urbanism reflects on the movement’s always compelling, ever-controversial, evolution and describes for us what he sees as its latest incarnation — “lean urbanism.”
March 8, 2013 Article Urban Field Notes: The Art Underground
A designer urges the Bay Area to take a lesson from the London Tube and transform its transit experience into something inspirational.
March 12, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Supports the Mandatory Seismic Retrofit Program
Letter urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Land Use Committee to move this legislation forward
March 12, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Amendment to San Francisco’s CEQA Procedures
Letter supporting proposed legislation to clarify appeal procedures for exemptions and negative declarations
March 18, 2013 SPUR Report Future-Proof Water
Where the Bay Area should get its water in the 21st century
April 4, 2013 Article Shaping Downtown San Jose
The quest to establish an urban center for Silicon Valley
April 8, 2013 Article Urban Field Notes: City as Canvas
April 8, 2013 Article Member Profile: Mary McCue
What makes a great public space? Few know better than Mary McCue, who, as President and CEO of MJM Management Group, has been working to create some of the best of them for over 20 years.
May 6, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Supports Amendments for Outdoor Vending on Private Property
Letter offering comments on amendments to San Jose's Title 20 ordinance
May 13, 2013 Article Urban Field Notes: Medellin Metrocable
A traveling environmental planner rides Medellin’s Metrocable.
May 13, 2013 Article Grow. Eat. Compost. Repeat.
How a stronger regional food system improves the Bay Area. Excerpted from the SPUR report "Locally Nourished."
May 13, 2013 Article Member Profile: Bill Souders
San Jose’s Naglee Park Garage Bistro was once a blighted corner. Bill Souders turned it into a neighborhood gem.
May 13, 2013 SPUR Report Locally Nourished
How a stronger regional food system improves the Bay Area
May 16, 2013 Policy Letter SPUR Comments on Plan Bay Area Draft and EIR
Letter supporting the draft of Play Bay Area and recommending specific adjustments before it is adopted.
June 6, 2013 Article Taking Down a Freeway to Reconnect a Neighborhood
Three big urban planning moves that could transform San Francisco.
June 6, 2013 Article Urban Field Notes: San Francisco, An Urban Athlete’s Training Ground
Those hills come in handy when you’re training for a triathlon.
June 6, 2013 Article Member Profile: Tanya Peterson
The director of the San Francisco Zoo is wild about the city.