On numerous walks through San Francisco's Mission District, I'd noticed things that didn't seem to fit into the regular grid of the city's streets. There was that weird diagonal lot behind the lumber place on Harrison Street, the building with the angled facade next to the Taqueria San Jose, and a variety of smaller inconsistencies that never added up — at least until I looked at Juri Commons off of Guerrero Street and put it all together. There must have been a railroad here! But when was it there, and where did it go?

SPUR Executive Director Gabriel Metcalf sat down with Greg Wagner, the City's new budget director — and SPUR's former good government policy director — to discuss the looming budget crisis, the City's Capital Plan and the role of creative thinking in budget reform.

Includes SPUR's analysis of 5 city propositions on the Nov. 3, 2009 ballot.

The parking lot opens at 6 a.m., as workers put out their signs, and order the homeless out. For as long as I can remember, the lot was just dirt, littered with trash and construction refuse. Those without homes used the lot, protected by the cement freeway underbelly, for shelter. Now, the lot has been paved over, providing parking spaces for commuters to the SOMA district. Every morning, the homeless pack up their belongings in shopping carts and move everything on to the sidewalk. There's furniture, bedding rolls and even a shoe-shine booth. At 5 p.m., when the parking attendants go home, the homeless move everything back, awaiting another day to repeat the routine.

Job decentralization has expanded the boundaries of our megaregion — increasing commute times and greenhouse gas emissions in Northern California. We propose a framework for developing strategies to drive jobs back into centers already served by regional transit.

How the nation emerges from this recession in terms of the structure of its economy, infrastructure, energy supply, and approach to the natural environment will determine our ability to compete and prosper in the 21st century.

Planning efforts to address the Delta’s complex ecosystem and water supply crisis may also greatly enhance the Delta’s open space values.

While housing is down, we know that population growth eventually will create the demand for new homes, rejuvenating employment and investment in the industry.

The desire of President Obama’s new administration and leaders in Congress to undertake serious steps to stem global warming may provide a singular opportunity to make more visible the role rental housing can play in making our country’s infrastructure greener.