This article is an edited transcription of a discussion between SPUR Program Director Bruce Williams and California College of Arts Professor Mitchell Schwarzer about the changing nature of San Francisco as illuminated by the release of the first round of Census 2000 data.

Beryl Magilavy offers suggestions on how to update San Francisco governmental policies, and calls for greater transparency and an elected public advocate as potential answers to the problems.

SPUR suggests using the City's building and planning code as instruments to allow, encourage and, in some cases, require the use of green building techniques in private sector development.

The Redevelopment Agency is a key component of any effort to build a sustainable San Francisco. This article summarizes the findings from a SPUR-sponsored charrette to identify sustainable strategies for redevelopment areas.

Ecological parks are different from conventional, picturesque parks. They are places nature has reclaimed, they’re part of the urban whole, and they minimize resource use and waste outputs. At their best, they inspire a connection to the land.

This article discusses how technology, NIMBY-ism and commute patterns in the Bay Area changed in the 1990s and how these factors will affect continued sprawl in the first decade of the 21st century.

The article argues that transportation policy cannot achieve the best the outcomes unless it is driven by a collaborative process, uses performance measures and eliminates allocation formula.

This article examines legislative and administrative actions necessary to change the public attitude about high-density development served by transit.

The article argues that solving housing shortages requires future regional growth going into mixed-use job and population centers of 12 million square feet in areas within 2000 feet of major transit.

Fourteen civically involved San Franciscans offer their views of what makes a good city, ranging from density, diversity, pedestrians, bikability, beauty, change, children and creativity.

The 1990s brought a new era of public buildings and spaces for San Francisco. In creating these crucial civic places, the planning of the whole must occur hand-in-hand with a careful attention to the parts.

April Philips, one of two members of the winning team for 1997 competition to redesign Union Square, explains the core concepts of their plan must include a "zen component" of a definite sense of place, plus it must present multiple possibilities for how it will be used by San Franciscans.

Veteran Examiner colunist Gerald Adams tells us his most outstanding memories of his 20 years as a reporter at the Examiner, a personal confession, and some thoughts about changing the process by which land uses are determined in San Francisco.

Prowler recounts his experience successfully negotiating public and private interests in the redevelopment of Mission Bay, and explains how such efforts could be replicated.

Gabriel Metcalf interviews City Controller Ed Harrington. Harrington, who served from 1990-2008, describes his role as not just financially managing city departments, but assisting them with staff and resources to be more effective.

Following the success of Proposition E, SPUR calls on the SFMTA to expand transit through programs to for obtaining funding and building infrastructure.

In the city’s first round of district elections since 1979, San Francisco voters elected what one victor boasted was a “progressive super-majority” to the Board of Supervisors and decisively thumped Mayor Willie Brown’s anointed candidates in one district after another, wrecking his vaunted machine. As establishment leaders lament their defeat and business elites despair, there is joy among progressives in our left coast city this…

This article describes the way San Francisco pays for infrastructure, how we underfund maintenance and makes several proposals, including a set-aside for deferred maintenance.

Beryl Magilavy calls for greater transparency and more in-depth scrutiny of certain civil service positions. By demanding more accountability from these positions Beryl argues that the city will save money.

Metcalf considers various reforms to make San Francisco City government run more efficiently.