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January 15th Public Open House material

News /
In case you missed our January 15th workshop, or want a closer look at the content, here are the materials that were presented for public feedback. It's a large file (~25M) showing all the boards. We will be posting the individual boards shortly. The project team is working hard to transcribe all the feedback and ideas we received check back soon to review it…

2010: The Year in Urbanism

Urbanist Article /
With this issue, we're kicking off the new year — and a new tradition — at SPUR. More confident in our ability to assess the present than predict the future, we've taken a stab at naming the biggest trends and events affecting urban planning in the Bay Area right now. Write to [email protected] with your own list!

SF Muni Buses Become Canvases for Mobile Public Art

News /
[Photo Credit: flickr user Todd Gilens] After the interminable wait for a San Francisco Muni bus, its eventual arrival is a cause for celebration and relief. And for the next three months, it could also prove to be a rare treat if your route happens to feature one of the four city buses serving as vehicles for a public art project from local artist…

Join us for a public workshop and open house

News /
Saturday, Jan 15th, 2011 9am-2pm (open house -- you may come for any portion) The Great Hall, SF Zoo Education Center, 1 Zoo Road (at Sloat Blvd) (Map) SPUR (San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association), along with the National Park Service, California State Coastal Conservancy, and SF Public Utilities Commission, is leading a new long-range planning effort for Ocean Beach. Please join…

Beyond the Tracks

SPUR Report /
For the 26 California cities designated as future high-speed rail stops, the new statewide system presents a once-in-a-century opportunity to reshape their local economies and set the course for more compact, less automobile-dependent growth. Beyond the Tracks identifies specific land-use planning strategies that will contribute to the success of high-speed rail and help cities, and ultimately California, realize the full potential of the multi-billion-dollar system.

Civic Labs

News /
As part of their Technology Horizons Program the Institute for the Future just released “A Planet of Civic Laboratories: The Future of Cities, Information, and Inclusion.” This study takes some of the most significant trends in technology and forecasts the potential social applications in urban environments. It’s fascinating. Here were a few highlights: -Facing budget deficits, city governments will increasingly turn to crowdsourcing as…

California's Groundbreaking Green Building Ordinance

News /
The LEED Silver San Francisco Federal Building set a standard for green construction in the city [Photo Credit: flickr user Oldvidhead] Green building regulations are nothing new. For over a decade, cities have taken the lead in the adoption of green building standards. States have been slower to follow suit, but at present 35 states have adopted green building ordinances that either outline policies…

Bay Area Visionary, Richard Goldman, Dies at 90

News /
Last week the Bay Area lost one of its most generous and influential environmental leaders. Richard Goldman, co-founder of the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, died at home on November 29. Through their family foundation, Richard and his wife Rhoda have given away hundreds of millions of dollars to a variety of arts and environmental initiatives. The Goldmans are perhaps best known for the…

Are Smaller Homes Here to Stay?

News /
[Photo Credit: flickr user Dean Terry] The post-recession trend toward smaller homes in suburban communities has grown over the past few years – and as the economy continues to lag, it’s likely these more modest homes will only rise in popularity. It remains unclear, however, if Americans have really begun to reevaluate the excesses of 6.5 bathrooms and a “celebrity-style media and screening room,”…

Planning the future of Ocean Beach

News /
Ocean Beach is one of the gems of the San Francisco landscape, drawing more than 2 million visitors each year. It is an important piece of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a wild landscape, an urban sea strand, a grand public open space. Ocean Beach is also home to major elements of San Francisco’s wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. The recent erosion events South of…

How to Improve the Bay Plan's Guidelines for Sea Level Rise

News /
Over the last two years, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) has been working to amend its guidance document, the Bay Plan, to include new policies related to climate change and sea level rise.

SPUR's Take on Amending the Bay Plan

Advocacy Letter /
SPUR believes that it is possible both to encourage true urban infill development in the right locations and to meaningfully plan for sea level rise. We also believe some changes should be made to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s proposed amendments to the Bay Plan.

SPUR Tours Recycle Central

News /
Just because you can recycle it, doesn't mean you should be using it San Francisco is successful at many things, but there is one place where we shine above all other cities in the country – our recycling and compost programs. San Francisco was the first major city in the U.S. to implement a citywide curbside composting program open to all residents and businesses. Almost…

DIY Urbanism: An Interview with PlantSF Founder Jane Martin

News /
This fall SPUR has featured the projects of local "Do-It-Yourself" urbanists in DIY Urbanism: testing the grounds for social change. In lean economic times, individuals have become the driving force behind some of the most successful initiatives to make San Francisco a better city, often providing the crucial impetus to address problems on a larger scale. SPUR spoke with Jane Martin, whose image as…

World Series Also a Victory for BART

News /
[Photo Credit: flickr user NicoleAbalde] As those who follow the Bay Area transit blogosphere already know, Wednesday's Giants World Series victory parade spurred BART on to its highest ridership ever"”by a huge margin. The system carried over half a million riders — 522,000 to be exact, which beat the previous record (from Oct 29, 2009, when the Bay Bridge was closed for…

Exploring Future Job Centers of the Bay Area: Hacienda Park, a Midpoint for the Megaregion

News /
Across the Bay Area, only one in 10 commuters takes transit work each day. And half of those transit commuters go to one job center: downtown San Francisco. But since most work is outside of downtowns, SPUR is trying to understand a little more about emerging suburban and non-downtown job centers. This series will look at the Bay Area's evolving and emerging business districts…

Urban Field Notes: Columbarium Is One Rare Place to Connect With the Dead

Urbanist Article /
In 1902 San Francisco made a law — no more burials within city limits — followed by an even more restrictive law in 1910: no more cremations. An additional requirement was that all graves be dug up and relocated to the tiny town of Colma. But the Columbarium, an imposing and solidly built repository-of-ashes, still stands at the end of Loraine Court.

Proposition A - Earthquake Retrofit Bond

Voter Guide /
This measure appeared on the November 2010 San Francisco ballot. We know how to make sure our soft-story buildings don't collapse in the next earthquake. Photo flickr user Eve Fraser-Corp.What it does Soft-story buildings are those with many openings (such as garage doors or large windows) and a lack of interior partition walls on the ground floor. They are considered to be…

Proposition AA - $10 vehicle registration fee

Voter Guide /
This measure appeared on the November 2010 San Francisco ballot. Revenue from the vehicle registration fee would go to funding projects like the new Valencia Streetscape Project. Photo by Colleen McHugh.What it does This measure would add $10 to current vehicle registration fees to fund congestion and pollution mitigation projects and programs. If approved by voters, the fee will generate an estimated…