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 looking down San Francisco's Market Street toward downtown

Reinventing Downtown

A new model to revitalize San Francisco’s urban center

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

photo of San Francisco City Hall with a construction crane in the foreground

Charter for Change

Empowering San Francisco’s government through charter reform

Green report cover with title in white text

120 Years After 1906

Policy Brief / April 9, 2026

San Francisco’s long-term resilience is constrained by the safety of its existing buildings. While the city has made meaningful progress, thousands of seismically vulnerable buildings remain. Given the cost and complexity of retrofits, the next phase of seismic policy must align earthquake resilience with priorities to revitalize downtown and meet climate goals. On the 120th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, this brief assesses how far the city has come in strengthening its buildings and identifies where risks remain.

Photo of 2060 Folsom Street, an affordable housing development in San Francisco

City-Imposed Costs on Housing Can Undermine the Public Benefits They Were Meant to Deliver

News / April 6, 2026

San Francisco requires developers of market-rate housing to provide affordable units and pay impact fees to deliver public benefits. Along with rising interest rates and construction costs, these city-imposed costs can threaten whether any new housing gets built at all. As San Francisco reviews its housing policy, it should analyze the effect that all development costs have on housing production and recalibrate its approach to public benefits.

When FEMA Steps Back, Who Pays for San Francisco’s Next Disaster?

News / March 30, 2026

Over the last year, the Trump administration has sought to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency and shift the bill for emergencies to local and state governments. Facing a major budget deficit tied to the city’s last major emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco must pursue new disaster management strategies, in coordination with regional and state partners, to ensure financial resilience in the face of future disasters.

Taking Muni’s Vitals

Research / March 26, 2026

Muni is in dire financial straits as COVID-relief funds reach their end. To avoid catastrophic service cuts, San Francisco’s transit agency will need voters to approve two different revenue measures in November 2026. Cost reductions and efficiency are also part of the strategy to keep buses and trains running. This research paper takes Muni’s “vitals” by looking at how the system performs relative to its peers on efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness. SPUR’s analysis also suggests places to find savings and improve performance over the coming years.

Photo of art installation with San Francisco City Hall in the background

Next Steps on Streamlining SF’s Unwieldy Commission System

News / March 18, 2026

San Francisco’s commission system has become unwieldy and inefficient. A voter-approved commission streamlining task force calls for reducing the number of commissions, moving many from the city charter to the administrative code, and making governance and operational changes. If enacted, these recommendations — some of which SPUR made last year — would increase flexibility, enhance accountability, and allocate resources more effectively.