In cities, quality of life is shaped by much more than housing alone; how the public realm completes the picture is key.

No longer a utopian pursuit, the accommodation of transit, biking and walking has become professional orthodoxy— and not by accident. In cities from coast to coast, including San Francisco, “complete streets” (as multimodal streets are often called) has become a mantra.

Today, Silicon Valley receives the country’s largest share of venture capital investment — but New York may be catching up. It’s not official economic development strategies that should worry the Bay Area. More important are the underlying fundamentals supporting New York City’s growth: its ability to attract talent, its urbanity and its existing industry mix.

As we detail in our recent report, Locally Nourished, many people in the city do not have access to fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy options near their homes. SPUR supports the Healthy Food Retailer Ordinance, which would increase access to fresh, healthy food to residents citywide.

San Francisco is a city celebrated for its progressive history, distinctive architecture and phenomenal geography. We believe it is critical to protect the historic fabric of the city, while supporting growth and change in the right locations. In this report, we describe how to fully integrate preservation into the city's processes for land use planning.

One of the biggest obstacles to expanding the number of Californians who enjoy the benefits of urban agriculture is access to land. SPUR strongly encourages state legislators to support Assembly Bill 551, an "opt-in" measure which would allow counties to create "urban agriculture incentive zones," offering a conservative approach to nurturing emergent urban agriculture projects across the state.

The first year of the new urban agriculture program provides a unique chance to truly expand the city’s internal coordination and general support for urban gardeners and farmers. During recent public meetings, the department expressed interest in receiving recommendations from community organizations regarding how the new program should prioritize its efforts. With this in mind, SPUR offers six recommendations for how the program can be most successful from its inception.

SPUR supports the resolution that would create a new program dedicated to urban agriculture within the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD). The RPD has land, resources and staff that can support the new program in a way unavailable to other departments and understands that the mission of this new program is to coordinate with other agencies and community groups, rather than replace them.

In Oakland, an artist and urban designer blends boosterism with positive deviance.

Once a formidable obstacle, the city’s hills are made for walking. And commuting. And recreation.

The juxtaposition of old and new enhances our urban fabric, amplifying the layers of history that define great cities. Reimagining old buildings has lead to the creation of some of San Francisco’s most loved places, from the Women’s Building to Mint Plaza to the new Exploratorium.

The San Francisco Housing Authority is in crisis. As a recent San Francisco legislative analyst and budget report notes, the agency had a budget short fall of $4 million in fiscal year 2011 and $2.6 million in 2012. Meanwhile, it does not have nearly enough funding to meet its capital needs. SPUR offers recommendations to help the agency become financially sustainable over the long term.