As a companion to our brief The 15-Minute Neighborhood, SPUR collaborated with SOM to develop a case study of San José’s Alum Rock neighborhood, exploring its potential to become a “20-minute neighborhood,” where residents can access many essential services and amenities just a short walk or bike ride from home. The case study draws upon work by San José State University’s urban planning studio and was supported by recommendations from local leaders and community-based organizations.

SPUR provided initial input to state Senator Aisha Wahab regarding SB 926, a bill to consider consolidation of the Bay Area's transit agencies. SPUR provided a number of ways the initial bill language could be made more effective by defining a study that addresses the key structural issues that have prevented past consolidation efforts from advancing.

SPUR and a large coalition of environmental, environmental justice, transit, and housing advocates have signaled their view that a new Bay Area's regional transportation measure should not include highway widening. Highway widening - expanding the physical footprint or geometry of highways and roadways exclusively for vehicular throughput - promotes driving and consequently increases climate pollution and safety hazards, while drawing riders away from public transit alternatives.

A key cause of California’s high housing costs is its decentralized and fragmented housing governance system. Multiple state and regional agencies, offices, departments, and systems are responsible for planning and funding housing. Add hundreds of cities, each with its own authority to zone for housing, and the complexity becomes dizzying. A new SPUR report makes 11 recommendations to set California and the Bay Area on the path to produce the housing we need.

SPUR joins a coalition of affordable housing advocates responding to the Governor’s budget proposal that includes deep cuts to housing funding programs that will negatively impact tens of thousands of families and make it impossible for our region to meet its housing goals.

Since launching work at the state level three years ago, SPUR has found that passing California-wide legislation can be the key to breaking gridlock on some of the Bay Area’s toughest issues.

Why does San Francisco have a housing shortage? In part because getting homes built means navigating a maze of strict, confusing, and often conflicting rules. Mayor Breed may be about to change all that.

A San Francisco native shares his hopes for the Bay Area, from downtowns to the region as a whole.

SPUR asked community leaders in San Francisco, San José, and Oakland the question: “What would it look like if cities were to get downtown right?” We invited them to picture a future in which today’s ideas and policy proposals for downtown revitalization are put into place ... and they work.

On behalf of SPUR and Nourish California, we respectfully request that the 2024-2025 budget include an additional, one-time allocation of $21 million from the General Fund to sustain the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Supplemental Benefits program. If additional funding is not provided in the FY 24-25 budget, the program will run out of funds this summer and tens of thousands of Californians across the state will have less money to put food on their tables.

SPUR resubmitted its recent letter regarding a potential regional transportation measure to the full MTC Commission.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is working with the State Legislature to develop input on enabling legislation for a potential regional transportation measure that could go to the ballot in 2026. SPUR has been following this process closely and provided input to MTC's Legislation Committee at their December 8th meeting.

The concept of the “15-minute neighborhood,” where residents can access essential, everyday services just a short walk or bike ride from home, has gained currency in recent years. San José’s plan to grow by building dense, mixed-use “urban villages” could guide the kind of development that would create 15-minute neighborhoods. SPUR suggests that San José could use the 15-minute framework to implement its urban village plan. We recommend six strategies to enable the creation of these more complete, connected, and equitable communities.

SPUR advocates against a proposed San Francisco charter amendment that would require the mayor to approve certain aspects of SFMTA's budget.

San Francisco Transit Riders Union, SPUR and other groups jointly oppose a proposed San Francisco charter amendment that would require the mayor to approve certain aspects of SFMTA's budget.