Headlines are sounding the alarm that California might have only one year of water left. How are water suppliers in the Bay Area responding to our state’s worsening drought? This week SPUR invited a few of the region’s principal water managers to share the outlook from their parts of the Bay Area.

Jimmy Chiu, Airport Infrastructure Program Director, led both design and construction efforts for the successful implementation of FAA-required runway safety areas at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Chiu worked to build consensus among the FAA, airlines and airport operations staff to ensure the project would be completed by the December 2015 federal deadline.

Paula Kehoe oversees pivotal water conservation and water resource diversification programs for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. With California’s severe drought conditions, the work of the Water Resource Division, led by Kehoe, is particularly critical. Kehoe directed the development of new strategies for water supply diversification through non-potable supplies.

The James R. Herman Cruise Terminal Team managed design, financing and project implementation to create a LEED-certified, world-class cruise terminal at Pier 27. The team set priorities, aligned interests and assured financial stability for this Port of San Francisco project.

The Family Violence Prevention Team implements new strategies to promote safe communication between parties in child-support cases. Through their work with the Family Violence Initiative, they have facilitated a 16 percent increase in the number of child support cases that are receiving payments.

Colleen Chawla led the effort to create the groundbreaking Health Care Services Master Plan (HCSMP) for the City and County of San Francisco. The first of its kind in the nation, the HCSMP allows policy makers to evaluate the impact of citywide health-promotion efforts, community planning and land use decisions on the health of citizens.

Building an iconic, future-oriented city hall in downtown San Jose was a leap toward urbanity. But to truly reap the rewards of density will require more work. Gehl Studio and the Tech Museum of Innovation partnered to survey the existing conditions of the plaza, test a series of prototypes and provide recommendations for animating the space.

The Bay Area’s “innovation economy” — i.e., the high-tech sector — is thriving. Though longtime observers are right to wonder when the next crash will happen, the region’s current boom has some fundamental qualities that hint prosperity will continue. This time of expansion is an opportunity to acknowledge some of the challenges associated with economic growth.

The idea of urban agriculture incentive zones has begun to spread within California. On February 10, both the City of Sacramento and Santa Clara County took official steps toward creating zones that would allow landowners to receive a property tax reduction in exchange for committing their land to urban gardening or farming for at least five years.

Each February, SPUR’s Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee brings together top economists and city staff to forecast what San Francisco’s economy will do in the year ahead. The expertise of independent economists and experts from key sectors — including real estate, hospitality and retail — helps the city develop revenue projections for the upcoming fiscal year. Here’s a look at what they see ahead.

Last week the San Francisco Planning Commission adopted the 2014 Housing Element. SPUR supports the housing element, but we believe the city needs to do much more to address the housing deficit. At a time when San Francisco is experiencing growth in jobs and residents, the city is not planning, approving and building enough housing. We have five suggestions for how to get things moving.