This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does San Francisco is straining under high demand for both homes and jobs. This situation is affecting almost every “intact” city in the United States, but it is especially difficult for San Francisco because of 1) the economic strength of the high-tech sector in the Bay Area, and 2) the strong tradition…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What is does This proposition would prohibit a city appointed or elected official from accepting a gift, payment, job offer, or campaign contribution from a person or entity, if the city official previously had approved granting certain benefits—such as a contract, lease, franchise, land use exception, special tax benefit or monetary payment—to such person…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does Several companies have challenged the legality of San Francisco’s business tax. If the firms are successful in court, they would expose the city to a $800 million liability. Proposition I is intended to cure this legal exposure by amending the business tax so that all companies pay a payroll tax instead…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does Proposition H would amend the city’s rent control ordinance to prohibit residential landlords from passing onto tenants the costs of major capital improvements such as a new roof, exterior paint, a new hot water heater, energy conservation measures, or remediation of lead hazards. Currently, an owner can raise a tenant’s base…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does For 33 years, the Recreation and Park Commission has closed the eastern portion of John F. Kennedy Drive (and a few auxiliary streets) in Golden Gate Park to automobile traffic on Sundays and certain holidays. Effected streets include: John F. Kennedy Drive between Kezar and Transverse Drives; Arguello Boulevard, Conservatory Drive…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does The intent of this proposed charter amendment is to achieve more parity between the health benefits of active and retired employees. It would have the city (or the school district, or the community college district as the case may be) pay half of the out-of-the pocket costs for health insurance for…

The Children’s Amendment was first passed by the voters in 1991, and has generated about $122 million over the past nine years. The Department of Children, Youth and their Families administers the fund of $18 million a year, allocating money to city departments and more than 180 non-profit organizations to provide programs for children and youth.

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot.What it does This proposed charter amendment would create a new category of retirement benefits for most “miscellaneous” city employees (non-uniformed forces). During the 1970s, city workers had the “richest” benefits in the state, which were judged by the voters to be significant drain on the general fund. In 1976, a second retirement plan was…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does The city charter currently provides that each of the eleven members of the Board of Supervisors has two staff members. This proposed charter amendment would increase that number to three.Why it is on the ballot In 1997, the Supervisors adopted an ordinance authorizing a third aide, called a “constituent liaison,”…

This measure appeared on the November 2000 San Francisco ballot. What it does Proposition A is a $105 million general obligation bond measure that would fund improvements to 19 of the city’s 26 library branches. In addition, it would fund a new support center to free up needed space in the main library, and improvements to Brooks Hall for use as the city’s archive…

Arlene Ackerman and Kathleen Turner field questions on educational reform, the role of parents in education, and the position the city must take to ensure the success of the system.

In San Francisco, we have not yet developed a comprehensive system of design that recognizes the natural features and processes of our peninsula--the waterfront, the hilltops, the wind and fog patterns. Now is the time.

This report suggests several ways that the approval process can be reformed in order to add certainty and reduce the time it takes to obtain project approval.

The answers to SOMA's problems can be found simply by looking at what makes our downtown successful: small block sizes, mixed land uses, housing, transit and better parking management.

This report concludes that San Francisco is well positioned for continuing economic success, and that the benefits of projected economic growth can be shared among workers at all income levels. The report describes the effects of the city and region's hugely successful economic evolution on land use, housing and transportation, and identifies illconceived public policy, and insufficient investment in housing and transportation as the most significant challenges to continued economic prosperity. San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) recommendations for increasing the city's housing stock and improving transportation are related to the needs of the city's economy.

From the pleasure garden to the reform park, recreational facility and open-space system, San Francisco has all forms, each reflecting its era’s ideology about order and an underlying attitude about the city.

The outlook for San Francisco's parks is much brighter after the successful passage of Propositions A and C in the March 2000 election. SPUR makes recommendations to the Recreation and Parks Commission to fully implement the measures.

Home Depot proposed for the Schlage Lock Company site is the exact opposite of the transit-oriented development SPUR advocates. This paper describes an alternative vision for the site.

Harvey Milk Plaza, located at the intersection of Market and Castro, is a memorial space dedicated to assassinated former city supervisor Harvey Milk. SPUR and other organizations have begun a contest to imagine how this space could become more significant and defined.

In the early 1990s, regional leaders declared the need for a regional forum to discuss and manage growth. Author Peter Lydon argues for an institution that would take an active role in making development more sustainable.