From the SF Examiner: At the end of 2021, California received permission to pilot new approaches to providing healthcare for those who rely on Medi-Cal. The onus is now on local health plans to implement pilot strategies. One option they should consider is medically supportive food and nutrition. Recent SPUR research makes a strong case for these interventions, which include produce prescriptions, food pharmacies, healthy groceries and medically tailored meals.
From the SF Chronicle: At the rate carbon emission reduction is currently going, California will be 60 years late in meeting its 2050 climate goals — too late to prevent extreme climate change. Governor Newsom and the state legislature have taken bold moves to phase out fossil fuels from transportation, but we need a similarly ambitious commitment on decarbonizing buildings.
SPUR's 2021 Impact Report highlights our key accomplishments over the past year, from passing state housing legislation to proposing policies that can help the region adapt to climate change and lift people out of poverty. We published more than 60 policy reports, briefs and letters and hosted over 11,000 guests at public events.
Free employee parking is a valuable job perk, but there’s one serious downside: It encourages commuting by car and hinders efforts to promote sustainable alternatives. One tool for countering this effect is parking cash out: offering the cash equivalent of a parking space to employees who don't drive to work. California passed a parking cash out law in 1992, but 30 years in, Santa Monica is still the only place in the state that requires employers to comply. Here's how the state can revitalize this underused tool to reach its long-term climate goals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the country piloted shared public spaces and slow streets. In a matter of weeks, these temporary changes transformed city streets in ways that would otherwise have taken years. The crisis injected the planning process with a sense of urgency and a willingness to experiment. How can San Francisco and other cities make these changes permanent? This report captures lessons learned and offers 18 recommendations for how to build on what's been started.