cityscape in SF

SPUR 2023 Annual Report

The Changing City

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Lignin & Lining (Exhibition)

Wood-based technology designed to combat climate change

sf cityscape

Office-to-Residential Conversion in Downtown SF

Can converting office space to housing help with downtown revitalization?

houses in sf

Losing Ground

What the housing crisis means for middle-income households and racial inequality

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How California Can Help Transit Survive and Thrive

SPUR leads a coalition urging CA to provide necessary funding for transit

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Making Temporary Food Benefits Programs Permanent

SPUR’s efforts to lessen a hunger crisis that is set to worsen

The World Is Coming to San Francisco. Will Public Transit Be Ready?

News /
World political and business leaders are coming to San Francisco later this year for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit. The Bay Area will use the event to highlight its innovation leadership. Ironically, the region’s claims to environmental leadership and the pursuit of equity will be undercut by a public transit system in freefall — unless the state acts quickly to use readily available and more-than-sufficient funding to help transit agencies step back from a fiscal cliff.

Reducing the Toll of Tolls on Low-Income Drivers

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Research shows that low-income families benefit most from the time savings provided by toll roads — but they use these roads less than any other income group. That’s because they are disproportionately burdened by tolls. Toll discount programs like the one just established by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will reduce the impact of tolls on low-income drivers without undermining tolls’ climate and congestion benefits.

Oakland Can Use Its Work on the Proposed Howard Terminal Ballpark to Realize Inclusive Growth

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The Oakland A’s decision to abandon negotiations for a new stadium at Howard Terminal is a huge disappointment to Oakland and the city’s many A’s fans. Despite this setback, Oakland remains a viable city for sports investment. And Howard Terminal remains a strong candidate for development. The experience with the A’s has laid the groundwork for future projects in Oakland that meet the city’s economic, environmental, and social standards.

What Comes Next for Downtown San Francisco?

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Hybrid work and a scarcity of affordable housing have depopulated San Francisco’s downtown. The consequences have been devastating to San Francisco’s budget, putting essential services and surviving small businesses at risk. How can the city create more economic diversity downtown — and address pre-COVID equity and sustainability challenges? SPUR has identified four key areas on which to focus our downtown revitalization research, engagement, and advocacy.

New Transit-Oriented Communities Policy Encourages Equitable and Sustainable Development

News /
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Transit Oriented Communities Policy, passed in 2022, aims to simultaneously address the climate crisis, the Bay Area’s unaffordability, and racial and economic inequities. SPUR reports on the policy’s main components and answers some critical questions, such as how local jurisdictions are being incentivized to comply with the policy and how residents can follow and become involved in its implementation.