Though its history dates back millennia, cartography has exploded in the digital age. The advent of the personal computer, and more recently the smart phone, has driven the creation of maps at a frenzied pace. From the struggle between open source and proprietary systems to the constant balance between data and artistry, Urban Cartography selectively examines the last 20 years of map making and explores…

Natural disasters and their devastating aftermath are increasingly common for many communities around the world. One recent example, 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, affected millions of people across the northeast coast of the United States and became the second most expensive natural disaster in the country’s history. Rather than simply reconstruct what had existed before the storm, or rely on conventional strategies of disaster management, the scale…

One challenge of increasing housing density in San Francisco is the close link between the city’s identity and a romantic vision of Victorian housing. But what if we could add thousands of new housing units without disrupting this image? SPUR’s new exhibition examines how the legalization of secondary units within existing housing typologies can help solve the city’s housing shortage. Co-presented by California College of …

More than two-thirds of the Bay Area’s water is imported from outside the region — supplies that are threatened by a multitude of hurdles, from climate change to new regulations. With the Bay Area set to add another 2 million people by 2040, a safe and reliable source of water to support that growth will be crucial for the region’s continued prosperity. SPUR’s latest exhibition…

Though its history dates back millennia, cartography has exploded in the digital age. The advent of the personal computer, and more recently the smart phone, has driven the creation of maps at a frenzied pace. From the struggle between open source and proprietary systems to the constant balance between data and artistry, Urban Cartography selectively examines the last 20 years of map making and explores…

Pulled from artist and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton's most recent book, Meanwhile in San Francisco: The City in It's Own Words , SPUR's latest exhibition features beautiful illustrations that form a collaborative narrative: the drawings are hers, but the words came from people living and working in San Francisco. To create each of these stories, Wendy spent anywhere from twenty-four hours to four weeks getting to know the place, the​…