SPUR supports Stanford’s application to update their permit granting an extension for future campus development through 2035.

Fay Darmawi, the founding producer of the San Francisco Urban Film Fest, celebrates cities through film and discusses the power films can have in conveying urban perspectives.

Anyone who meets Diane Filippi will quickly discover she is a force of nature. As the SPUR Urban Center building celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, we wanted to check in with her as she was essential to the project’s success.

Superblocks (superilles) are designs for a small grid of city streets that prioritize the pedestrian, prohibiting through-traffic and only allowing car access if the driver needs to visit a building located within the zone and at a limited speed.

SPUR believes that creating a process for City Council to place city-sponsored measures on the ballot is a positive step toward good government in Oakland.

SPUR urges the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to support placing this proposed charter amendment on the ballot in order to streamline the review and approval of 100% affordable housing and housing for educators.

Since 1910, SPUR has been facilitating a conversation about the future of cities. This year, with the launch of the SPUR Regional Strategy, we are starting a conversation about the Bay Area of 2070. Our annual report takes a look at everything we got done in the last year — and what we hope to make happen over the next 50.

Two new SPUR white papers offer recommendations for an easier-to-use transit map and the implementation of coordinated regional fares.

SPUR voices concerns about the proposed legislation to create controls on residential demolition.

SPUR recommend that local boards and partner agencies at Diridon Station use the lens of user experience to evaluate the proposed elements and scenarios for the spatial configuration of this multimodal hub. User experience is critical to whether people will embrace the station — be it to take a transit trip, meet with friends in the station area, or live or work in San Jose.

SPUR supports Mayor Breed's fiscal year 2019-2021 proposed soda tax revenue allocation.

SPUR urges BART to participate in the Regional Means-based Transit Fare Discount Pilot Program. This program is aiming to make transit more affordable for people with low-incomes. In our letter, we offer suggestions to guide BART’s participation in the program.

The impacts of fare integration are not well understood. In the absence of real information, fear and assumptions are driving the decision to maintain the status quo approach to fare policy. SPUR recommends the Clipper Executive Board allocate funding for a business case to assess options, costs and benefits for regional fare integration.

SPUR commend Caltrain for taking on questions about how it should be organized to deliver services effectively as part of the business plan. In this letter SPUR outlines four goals for Caltrain's future service delivery and governance models and provides best practices about how rail networks are delivered and managed in other countries.

SPUR supports a Rail Corridor Plan for San José and Inter-Agency Agreement and provides recommendations to help develop the Rail Corridor Plan's scope of work and the Inter-Agency Agreement. This effort can further promote collaboration in developing a seamless and integrated rail network across the Bay Area and Northern California Megaregion.

MTC and ABAG, as part of the Horizons effort, sought input on the strategies that will assess projects for inclusion in Plan Bay Area 2050. SPUR believes the Futures Round 2 analysis can be bolder and more strategic. Our letter included several overarching comments about the analysis, as well as specific comments related to several of the proposed strategies.

SPUR supports California high-speed rail and encourages the Federal Railroad Administration to fully re-commit its planned investment of $929 million in this project that is critical for our state and national economy.

SB 5 is structured to make significant affordable housing and community development dollars available immediately. Fifty percent of the funding overall and 50 percent of a given local agency’s funding would be required to be spent on affordable housing. SB 5 is an important commitment from the state general fund toward important affordable housing and community development needs across the state.

SPUR supports Assembly Bill 11, which authorizes cities, counties and other districts to create affordable housing and infrastructure agencies. AB 11 would require that at least 30 percent of funding going to the affordable housing and infrastructure agency would be dedicated to the creation, improvement and preservation of low- and moderate-income housing. SPUR sees AB 11 as a step in the right direction.