SPUR Planning Policy Area

Planning

We believe: Growth can be good and should be directed to areas
that will support equitable development and sustainability.

Our Goals

• Leverage growth to create great neighborhoods and public spaces.

• Protect and expand open space.

• Concentrate new jobs and housing in downtowns and near major transit hubs.

• Grow up, not out.

Photo of a locally owned bakery storefront in downtown San Francisco

Policy Brief

Small and Mighty

San Francisco’s small businesses face complex regulations, rising costs, and slow economic recovery after the pandemic. SPUR identifies seven interventions to support the city's small business sector.
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Photo of high rise buildings in downtown San Francisco

SPUR Report

From Workspace to Homebase

Converting empty offices into apartments could both reanimate downtown San Francisco and provide housing for more people near transit, jobs, and culture. SPUR explores the suitability of converting office buildings to housing and tests the financial feasibility.
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illustration of a mixed-used downtown with offices, restaurants, childcare, retail, greenspace and transit

Urbanist Article

What If We Get Downtown Right?

SPUR asked community leaders: “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.
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photo of a pedestrian bridge and tree cover over the Guadalupe River

Virtual Exhibition

Re-Envisioning the Guadalupe River Park

The Guadalupe River Park is downtown San José’s most important urban green space, but it faces serious challenges. SPUR's virtual exhibition celebrates the promise of the river park and brings together three years of research and conversation about its future.
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Updates and Events

California High Speed Rail Project

SPUR Report
SPUR’s call for a high-speed rail system addresses seven basic questions, from technology to station locations, route alignment and funding.

The Decline of the Port

Urbanist Article
Jasper Rubin outlines the transformation of the San Francisco Port as a working industrial port to a commercially zoned waterfront. The collapse was due in part to mechanical and engineering progress that San Francisco didn't have the space or resources...

The Public Trust Doctrine

Urbanist Article
The evolution of common-law notions of water ownership has left San Francisco with a rich set of laws and precedents for use of its waterfront. While it is prohibited in California to develop trust lands for housing or general office use, some projects have managed to slide through...

Forecasting the Future

Urbanist Article
This article argues that regional agencies should use modeling and projections to clarify the environmental consequences of investments – and ultimately shift more dollars from roads to transit.

Smart Region, Smart Growth

Urbanist Article
This article presents a smart growth alternative to the proposed $88 billion Regional Transportation Plan – better fund transit, restrict parking and integrate land use and transportation planning.

The San Francisco Urban Design Element

Urbanist Article
The Urban Design Plan needs to accommodate more than what and where buildings are planted in San Francisco. We cannot separate our society from our city streets, our economy and the buildings we live and work in every day.
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