People walking in San Jose's San Pedro Square

The SPUR Annual Report

Learn about our impact

new multifamily housing under construction

Permitting Progress

How charter reform can help San Francisco speed delivery of housing, transit, new businesses, and more

Photo of Muni bus driving down Geary in SF

Taking Muni's Vitals

Data show the agency performs well compared with peers across the country

Illustration of a crane stacking cargo containers that say "sound fiscal policy," "structural change" and "economic growth"

Balancing Oakland's Budget

Closing the city’s structural deficit to move toward fiscal solvency and economic growth

photo of San Francisco with orange skies from wildfire smoke in September 2020

Shared Risk, Shared Resilience

New governance structures for community wildfire resilience

Building storefronts in downtown San Jose

Getting In on the Ground Floor

Activation strategies for downtown San José

The Urban Future of Work

SPUR Report / January 9, 2012

As the Bay Area’s economy changes, many firms are finding they need the vibrancy and density of an urban-style environment in order to collaborate, innovate and stay competitive. There is a strong link between density and job growth. In fact, we believe that locating jobs closer to transit — and closer to one another — will be key to the Bay Area’s long-term economic growth.

The Trouble With Ranked-Choice Voting

News / January 6, 2012

Professor Corey Cook responds to Professor Rich Deleon's criticism of Cook's original Urbanist article covering ranked choice voting.

In Defense of Ranked-Choice Voting

News / January 6, 2012

Professor Corey Cook’s article in the December 2011 Urbanist assesses San Francisco’s ranked-choice voting (RCV) system in the 2011 mayoral election. His opening statement concludes that “by most objective measures the system held up rather well: The election results were clear and uncontroversial, individual ballots contained fewer errors than in past contests and most voters chose to participate fully by ranking their first-, second- and…

SPUR Comments on Central Market Economic Strategy

Advocacy Letter / November 28, 2011

SPUR's comments contemplated actions to achieve the following objectives: enhance and activate the public realm, stabilize the existing community and support the establishment of a creative arts community, reduce vacancies and catalyze development, build community capacity and improve safety.

The Future of Sharp Park

Policy Brief / November 22, 2011

San Francisco is considering proposed legislation to change recreational uses at Sharp Park, a city-owned golf course and natural area located in Pacifica. The ordinance would end golfing at the site and restore it to more natural conditions. Activists eager to see a newly restored natural area and golfers eager to sustain and upgrade the course have debated the issues. SPUR weighs in with recommendations.