Balancing Oakland's Budget
Closing the city’s structural deficit to move toward fiscal solvency and economic growth
What’s Going On: Tensions, and Solutions, in a Changing Oakland
News / On July 7, more than 2,000 people marched peacefully in Oakland to protest police killings of innocent civilians in other parts of the country. In a city that is changing quickly, and where tensions run high, a peaceful protest is worth noting. We must pay close attention to the reasons people were marching — and work as hard as we can to fix the causes.
What Can San Francisco Do to Address Homelessness?
News / On June 29, more than 80 Bay Area media organizations contributed to an unprecedented wave of coverage on homelessness. SPUR, together with HandUp, hosted an evening forum, “Housing, Homelessness and the Way Forward for San Francisco,” to report on the challenges the city faces, uncover solutions and inspire action.
Is San Francisco Finally Ready to Make In-Law Units Legal?
News / San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin recently introduced an ordinance to allow new “in law” housing units across San Francisco. Soon afterward, supervisors Mark Farrell and Scott Wiener introduced a proposal that’s similar but slightly less restrictive. We’re thrilled to see proposals to increase the city’s housing supply moving forward. Now it’s going to be important to get the details right.
A New Pro-Housing Generation Says “Yes In My Back Yard”
News / A growing collection of like-minded urbanists from around the country have jauntily adopted the label YIMBY or “Yes In My Back Yard.” YIMBYs tend to live in cities. And the thing they most want in their backyards is housing. Last week they met at YIMBY 2016, their first-ever international conference.
Future-Proof Water for Silicon Valley
Research / Silicon Valley’s historically reliable water supply has been essential to its growth. But the last four years of severe drought have revealed the region’s dependence on statewide water availability. Local leaders see sustained conservation and water recycling as the best solution. To assist these efforts, this paper updates the South Bay data in our 2013 report Future-Proof Water and highlights areas for research and partnerships.