Mural painted on the headquarters of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District

Culture as Catalyst

How arts and culture districts can revitalize downtowns

abstract Illustration of people hanging posters that depict themes of biking, transit, parks, green space

Reimagining the City

Selections from the latest issue of The Urbanist

Graphic design of an organizational chart becoming cleaner and clearer

Designed to Serve

Resetting city governance to better meet the needs of San Franciscans

transect diagram of a shoreline community with groundwater underneath the soil

Look Out Below

Reducing the risk of groundwater rise in Bay shore cities

Illustration of houses plugging into electricity

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

Planning an equitable transition away from fossil fuel heat in Bay Area buildings

SPUR CEO Alicia John-Baptiste to Join SF Mayor’s Administration

News /
SPUR President and CEO Alicia John-Baptiste will be leaving SPUR to take on a newly created policy chief role with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office. On February 3, she will join Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration as Chief of Infrastructure, Climate & Mobility. The position reports directly to the mayor and is part of a restructuring intended to help break down silos and reduce complexity in city government.

What It Will Take to Close Oakland’s Structural Deficit, Part 1: How We Got Here

News /
Oakland is at a pivotal moment as city leaders work to address a significant budget shortfall of $129 million this year, with an additional $280 million projected over the next two years. Solutions to the city’s structural deficit may come from examining how past budget priorities and decisions led to current challenges.

Culture As Catalyst

Policy Brief
Oakland, San Francisco, and San José are exploring how cultural districts can mitigate the economic and social impacts of office vacancies and reduced foot traffic in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful examples from Boston, Cleveland, Denver, and Philadelphia show how place-based cultural strategies can reactivate struggling neighborhoods to support businesses, create jobs, and make communities more resilient.

A Permanent Path for Climate-Friendly Transportation Projects: Q&A with Laura Tolkoff

News /
This week, Senator Scott Wiener introduced Senate Bill 71, which would make permanent a successful pilot project that has jumpstarted dozens of sustainable transportation projects in California. SPUR has been a driving force behind this exemption and is a sponsor of this legislation. We asked Transportation Policy Director Laura Tolkoff to tell us what California has been able to accomplish with the exemption and what SB 71 will do.

LA Fires: It’s Time to Rethink Risk Mitigation to Save California's Home Insurance Market

News /
California’s increasingly extreme weather, exemplified by the Los Angeles fires, is fueling a home insurance crisis, with many insurers canceling plans or raising premiums. California has already begun to implement reforms in the insurance industry, but more must be done. SPUR highlights the urgent need to accurately price hazard risk, advance risk mitigation through smart land use planning, and establish voluntary buyout programs for high-risk properties.