Balancing Oakland's Budget
Closing the city’s structural deficit to move toward fiscal solvency and economic growth
San Francisco Passes Landmark Earthquake Retrofit Law
News / Last Thursday, on the 107th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake, SF Mayor Ed Lee signed the mandatory soft-story retrofit program into law. SPUR has long advocated for this legislation, which will help make San Francisco more resilient in a major earthquake. Soft-story buildings are those with large openings for storefront windows or garages, which cause the ground floor to be weak, leaving it vulnerable…
Shaping Downtown San Jose
Urbanist Article / Facing competition from nearby hubs scattered throughout Silicon Valley, downtown San Jose was one of the country’s largest — and longest running — revitalization projects. Reining in the suburban sprawl and refocusing energy downtown is the impetus for the city’s next chapter.
Three State Bills Worth Watching: Urban Ag, Farm Protection and a Soda Tax
News / Of the many food and agriculture bills California legislators have introduced this year, three stand out for their potential impact on the Bay Area’s food system: a tax incentive to promote the use of private land for urban agriculture; a change to CEQA to require agricultural land preservation for certain projects; and a statewide sugary-beverage tax. Here’s a closer look at these bills, which we…
Bay Area Bike Sharing Moves Closer to Reality
News / After a number of delays, the wheels are finally turning on a bike-sharing program for the Bay Area. Earlier this month, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) signed a contract with Alta Bike Share, which runs successful programs in Washington, D.C., and Boston.
Future-Proof Water
SPUR Report / More than two-thirds of the Bay Area’s water is imported from outside the region. Today these supplies are regularly threatened by drought, earthquakes and water quality impairments — risks that will intensify with climate change. Meanwhile, our region will add 2 million more people by 2040 — growth that will require more water. Do we have the water we need to support this projected growth?