September 2020
Sep
29
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Keeping Tenants Housed During the Pandemic
12:30 p.m.
COVID-19 has placed extraordinary pressure on tenants. Though many cities enacted temporary eviction moratoriums, furloughs, job losses and an unstable economy continue to make stable housing incredibly tenuous for many Californians. What should the federal government be doing to keep tenants housed during this crisis, and what can the state do if the federal government fails to act?
Sep
30
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
What's New in the World of Anti-Displacement?
12:30 p.m.
As California grows and changes, anti-displacement strategies must assume a critical role in stabilizing communities and building more equitable and inclusive cities. Join us to learn about the latest research coming out of UC Berkeley’s Urban Displacement Project, and to hear how the cities of San José and San Francisco are applying the important and timely findings from that work to their own anti-displacement policies.
October 2020
Oct
1
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Vision 2022: When California Leads, the World Soon Follows
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Imagine that California had $30 billion to invest in the cleanest available technologies and systems over the next ten years — and even more for the subsequent decade. What could the state accomplish with that funding? What priority investments should be undertaken in the first decade to dramatically reduce diesel emissions, ensure attainment of federal clean air standards throughout the state and significantly reduce greenhouse gases, including short-lived climate pollutants, to meet the challenge laid out in the 2018 IPCC...
Oct
5
Mon
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ideas + Action Opening Keynote with Mitchell J. Silver
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Kick off Ideas + Action with Mitchell J. Silver, the commissioner of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Come hear his take on the role of public space in our cities, how New York City is working to ensure equitable park access while accommodating the evolution of its neighborhoods, what the pandemic has shown about the value urban public space and much more.
Oct
5
Mon
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
How We Use Urban Public Space
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The public spaces found throughout our cities have long been a crucial component of the urban fabric, acting as a confluence of urban design and architecture, art and culture, dialogue and politics. Come explore the role that urban public space plays in our lives and how that role has evolved over time, and hear about places that we can both aspire to and learn from.
Oct
6
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ideas + Action 2020: Networking Session 1
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Come meet other Ideas + Action attendees and discuss the day's discussion topics through multiple rounds of virtual networking sessions.
Oct
6
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
How to Create Truly Inclusive Community Engagement
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For far too long, many cities have relied on a top-down approach to planning. In this RSVP-only technical session designed exclusively for practitioners, hear how Detroit is leading a successful, equitable and transformative community engagement process and learn about the critical tools and practical lessons that you can apply to your own work in order to create a truly inclusive community engagement strategy.
Oct
6
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Expanding the Definition of Public Space
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Can public space be simultaneously experienced by a single person traveling around the world and a million people in their homes? Does it count if it can only be experienced through earbuds, a computer screen or even an imagination? Join us to examine the very definition of public space as we break down the orthodoxy of what could, and should, be included under that label.
Oct
7
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
How to Create Sustainable Funding Models for Public Space
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Attracting an estimated eight million visitors each year, New York City’s The High Line has become one of the most successful new public spaces in the country. In this RSVP-only technical session designed exclusively for practitioners, learn about The High Line’s operating costs and funding strategies, and the lessons that can be applied to your own efforts to establish sustainable funding models for public space.
Oct
7
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Who Are Streets Designed For?
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
How can a city complete projects like slow streets, especially in times of crisis, without forgoing participatory decision-making? Can the process, and the end result, accommodate all users? Explore the challenges that exist when the accepted status quo for street design has been molded by generations of racism and implicit bias, and the ways we can build streets designed by, and for, everyone.
Oct
7
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ideas + Action 2020: Networking Session 2
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Come meet other Ideas + Action attendees and discuss the day's discussion topics through multiple rounds of virtual networking sessions.
Oct
8
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ideas + Action 2020: Networking Session 3
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Come meet other Ideas + Action attendees and discuss the day's discussion topics through multiple rounds of virtual networking sessions.
Oct
8
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Viewing Public Space Through an Equity Lens
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The majority of American public spaces were designed by generations of predominantly white, male professionals, but many no longer work for their changing demographics. Hear about the relationship between public space and equity, the ways that communities use, program and maintain public spaces, the reactions that result and how our cities need to rethink existing design practices to offer agency and ownership for all users.
Oct
8
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
How to Provide Equitable, 10-Minute Park Access to Everyone
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In this RSVP-only technical session designed exclusively for practitioners, learn about the processes that the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department undertook to achieve 10-minute park access to all residents, how the initiative enabled the department to operationalize its equity goals and the practical lessons that you can apply to your own work in providing inclusive park access.
Oct
9
Fri
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
What Does Public Space Look Like in a Post-Pandemic World?
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Will our public spaces ever return to “normal,” or will this new reality become the status quo? Join us for a conversation examining the ramifications of COVID-19 on how we utilize and redesign our public spaces, and how we can prioritize and design new spaces that can that can better respond to future impacts, such as pandemics and climate change.
Oct
9
Fri
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ideas + Action Closing Keynote with Alicia John-Baptiste
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cap off the week of Ideas + Action programming with an inspiring keynote from SPUR's president and CEO, Alicia John-Baptiste. Join us to hear a summary of what we learned — and where we go next.
Oct
13
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Land Banking: Models from Across the Country
12:30 p.m.
Land banking — the aggregation and repurposing of underutilized, abandoned or foreclosure parcels for future development by municipalities — is a proven tool to help governments manage land and put it towards public use. Join us to hear from experts and practitioners from around the country about how it works and how can it be used effectively here in the Bay Area.
Oct
14
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America
5:00 p.m.
Last year, 6,590 people were hit and killed while walking in the United States — the highest number in 30 years. Join us in conversation with Angie Schmitt, author of the new book Right of Way, as we dive into the research and realities behind why pedestrians are dying, and how we can imagine and demand safer, equitable cities here in the Bay Area.
Oct
15
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ballots and Brews
5:00 p.m.
On November 3, residents across the Bay Area will head to the voting booth. Instead of blindly facing a slew of complex measures in the ballot box, take advantage of SPUR’s rigorous analysis process and join our policy staff in an annual tradition, now online, as they explain the ballot over beers. We’ll be examining the state-level measures first, and then splitting up into groups to provide insight and answers about the ballots for San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland...
Oct
20
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Learning from International Housing Delivery Systems
12:30 p.m.
Housing affordability is by no means only a local issue, but many countries around the world have vastly different ways of organizing and implementing their housing policies and operating their real estate markets. Join us to explore housing delivery models from Copenhagen to Tokyo, and learn what it might take to rethink, and transform, how our region thinks about providing housing.
Oct
20
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Diesel Free by '33
5:00 p.m.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's (BAAQMD) "Diesel Free by ’33" campaign calls on Bay Area governments and businesses to eliminate diesel use by 2033. Join us for a conversation with the air district, environmental advocates and clean energy entrepreneurs to learn how the campaign is going, what hurdles exist and what it will take for our region to become diesel-free.
Oct
27
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Ocean Beach: From Vision to Reality
12:30 p.m.
From 2010 to 2012, SPUR worked with a myriad of local, regional, state and federal agencies to develop the Ocean Beach Master Plan, one of the Bay Area’s very first sea level rise adaptation plans. Join us for a discussion with some of the key agencies that are making this exciting vision a reality and learn what’s happening next for this incredible asset.
Oct
28
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Creating a Bay Area Sales Tax Fairness Credit
12:30 p.m.
California has the highest state sales tax rate in the country and this source of revenue keeps these regional governments in the black. However, these types of taxes also disproportionately burden low-income earners and those who have been most impacted by structural inequity. Come learn about how a first-of-its-kind regional sales tax credit could put money back into the pockets of Bay Area residents.
Oct
29
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Fast-Tracking Buses on the Bay Area's Highways
12:30 p.m.
The Bay Area’s freeways often crawl with automobile traffic. This traffic even affects transit riders, as one of the most efficient transportation modes–the bus–currently fares no better on highways than the cars around it. However, this doesn't have to be the norm as a number of U.S. regions are now leveraging their freeway infrastructure to deliver fast and reliable regional transit.
November 2020
Nov
4
Wed
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Post-Election Recap
12:30 p.m.
This November election stands to be one of the most important and complicated in recent memory. With COVID-19 limiting access to in-person polling places, did mail-in voting work? How do the results of San Francisco's election relate to what's happening in California, or even across the country? In a much-loved tradition, SPUR and local political analysts provide a witty and incisive post-election recap.
Nov
10
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
How Can We Encourage the Mass Adoption of Walking and Biking?
5:00 p.m.
The pandemic has generated a surge in walking, biking and other forms of active mobility. Hear from some of the region's most thoughtful cycling advocates and transportation experts as they explore what it will take to encourage the mass adoption of walking and biking in the Bay Area.
Nov
17
Tue
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Providing Efficient, Effective Access to the Social Safety Net
5:00 p.m.
The country’s social safety net provides critical assistance to vulnerable households. However, accessing the appropriate services can prove difficult due to a lack of information, the digital divide and other obstacles. Join us as representatives from local government and nonprofits share the role that they play in connecting people with the right benefits, the challenges caused by COVID-19 and the solutions that are proving successful.
Nov
19
Thu
San Francisco + San José + Oakland
Coming Out of the Recession With a More Equitable Economy
12:30 p.m.
At the beginning of 2020, the United States was a prime case study on economic inequality. With an income gap worse than all but five states, California fares no better than the rest of the country. Join us for a discussion of the big, bold policy tools that should be used to shape a more fair economy as we climb out of this recession.
If, in order to participate in a SPUR event, you need auxiliary aids or services for a disability (e.g., qualified interpreter, qualified reader, written materials, taped texts) please submit your request five business days before the event to publicprograms@spur.org or 415-781-8726 x132. SPUR will work with you in identifying effective auxiliary aids or services that it can provide. If you need to cancel your request, please notify SPUR at least two business days before the event.