photo of estuary at Crissy Field at sunset

Sustainability and Resilience

We believe: The region should be environmentally just, carbon-neutral,
and resilient to climate change and earthquakes.

Our Goals

• Decarbonize buildings.

• Make the region resilient to sea level rise and other climate-driven natural disasters.

• Improve communities’ resilience to earthquakes.

transect of a bayshore neighborhood with ground water beneath the soil

SPUR Report

Look Out Below

Bay Area cities planning for sea level rise need to address another emerging hazard: groundwater rise. Our case study on East Palo Alto offers recommendations applicable to other vulnerable communities along the San Francisco Bay shore.
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transect of a bayshore neighborhood with ground water beneath the soil

SPUR Report

Look Out Below

Bay Area cities planning for sea level rise need to address another emerging hazard: groundwater rise. Our case study on East Palo Alto offers recommendations applicable to other vulnerable communities along the San Francisco Bay shore.
Read More
illustration of houses plugging into the electricity grid

SPUR Report

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from polluting gas furnaces and water heaters to zero-emissions electric heat pumps. SPUR’s action plan shows how to make this transition affordable for low-income households.
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illustration of houses plugging into the electricity grid

SPUR Report

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from polluting gas furnaces and water heaters to zero-emissions electric heat pumps. SPUR’s action plan shows how to make this transition affordable for low-income households.
Read More
photo of Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Initiative

Ocean Beach Master Plan

San Francisco's Ocean Beach faces significant challenges. SPUR led a public process to develop a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access.
Read More
photo of Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Initiative

Ocean Beach Master Plan

San Francisco's Ocean Beach faces significant challenges. SPUR led a public process to develop a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access.
Read More
historic photo of houses damaged in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Initiative

The Resilient City

We know that another major earthquake will strike San Francisco — we just don’t know when. SPUR's Resilient City Initiative recommends steps the city should take before, during, and after the next big quake.
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historic photo of houses damaged in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Initiative

The Resilient City

We know that another major earthquake will strike San Francisco — we just don’t know when. SPUR's Resilient City Initiative recommends steps the city should take before, during, and after the next big quake.
Read More

Updates and Events

Photo of the California State Capitol Building

Newsom Signs Seven SPUR-Sponsored Bills to Build More Homes and Upgrade Existing Ones

News /
SPUR helped secure seven new California housing laws advancing a more affordable, climate-ready future. Five of them will streamline housing construction, reduce housing costs, and expand feasible housing development; two simplify electrification and clean-energy upgrades for existing homes. These wins make it easier to plan, approve, and pay for new homes and simpler and cheaper to keep existing homes healthy and energy efficient. We continue to advocate for measures addressing property taxes, wildfire resilience, and energy access.
photo of older homes in a residential neighborhood

How Much Money Is Available to Help Bay Area Homeowners Install Heat Pumps?

News /
How much money is available in the Bay Area for homeowners who need financial help to install heat pumps?The funding and financing landscape for clean energy has fluctuated significantly. Investments in heat pump incentives will be especially important for the equitable implementation of the Air District’s zero-emission heating rules. SPUR previews findings from our forthcoming report analyzing the first comprehensive dataset on local, regional, state, and federal funding sources for heat pumps and home efficiency programs in the Bay Area. There’s good news.
San Francisco Mission Branch Library

Resilience Hubs: The Heart of Community Preparedness

Urbanist Article /
The cancellation of FEMA and California’s ongoing budget deficit are placing pressure on grants and programs that have helped communities prepare for extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding, and other climate-related hazards. In response, local organizations and governments are advancing their own programs. One promising approach is resilience hubs — community-centered facilities that help neighborhoods prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while providing valuable services year-round.

Standing Our Ground on the Electric Transition

Urbanist Article /
The U.S. climate movement is weathering a major storm. The Trump administration has ended tax credits for electric vehicles, solar panels, and heat pumps, and the Environmental Protection Agency rescinded its scientific basis for greenhouse gas regulation. Even California has put climate programs on the budget chopping block. But these dark clouds begin to lighten once you enter the Bay Area.

Q: What Does “Local Resilience” Look Like?

Urbanist Article /
As federal funding and other societal supports the Bay Area relies on are disappearing, how are local leaders and organizations stepping up to fill the gaps, rethink resourcing, support their communities, and move important projects forward? We asked 10 local leaders how they’re collaborating with their communities to meet today’s challenges.
City Attorney David Chu

Uniting Cities to Defend Democracy

Urbanist Article /
Across the country, cities and states have faced an unprecedented wave of threats to their resiliency. The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened critical federal funding unless they acquiesce to its political agenda. And the administration’s failure to enforce many federal laws is harming vulnerable residents. Under these circumstances, cities must defend themselves.

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