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.
SPUR Report
Watershed Moments
Climate scientists predict that California will experience longer, more frequent droughts as the climate warms. How can the Bay Area better manage the limited water it has? SPUR, Greenbelt Alliance and Pacific Institute teamed up to highlight six Northern California leaders who are pioneering more sustainable approaches to water use.
The Bay Area is projected to add 2 million jobs and as many as 6.8 million people in the next 50 years. But can we add more jobs and build more housing without using more water? New research from SPUR and the Pacific Institute says yes.
Safety First: Improving Hazard Resilience in the Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area is both a treasured place and a hazardous environment where flooding, wildfires and earthquakes are common today. As a region exposed to multiple hazards, how can we manage for all of them at the same time?
We know that another major earthquake will strike San Francisco — we just don’t know when. Since 2008, SPUR has led a comprehensive effort to retrofit the buildings and infrastructure that sustain city life. Our Resilient City Initiative recommends steps the city should take before, during and after the next big quake.
Lessons Learned From California’s COVID-19 Water Debt Relief Program
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Legislature established the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program to provide financial relief for unpaid water bills. But water affordability struggles won’t end with the pandemic. The state will need to build upon its first experiment with water bill assistance to weather ongoing climate change and income inequality. SPUR investigates the success of the $985 million program and looks at lessons learned.
Ocean Beach, one of San Francisco’s most treasured landscapes, faces significant challenges. Since 2010, SPUR has led an extensive interagency and public process to develop the Ocean Beach Master Plan, a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems and improve public access.
This month, SPUR’s Food and Agriculture policy program starts a new chapter as an independent organization. Staff members Eli Zigas, Katie Ettman, and Grecia Marquez-Nieblas are leaving SPUR to launch Fullwell, a nonprofit public policy group working to put an end to food insecurity and create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. As we wish them well, we take a look back on the program’s successes over its 13 years at SPUR.
Switching home energy uses from fossil fuels to electricity will improve air quality and meet state climate goals. But California’s plan to decarbonize its buildings is getting bogged down by the complexities and costs of electric panel and service upgrades. SPUR suggests three strategies and 17 recommendations to overcome these barriers. By adopting policy changes, California can facilitate the transition to a climate-friendly, climate-ready built environment and serve as a model for other states.
In an effort to improve air quality, Bay Area regulators have passed regulations to phase out the sale of gas heating in buildings. SPUR and our partners in the Bay Area Clean Air coalition created this toolbox to enable policymakers and advocacy groups to identify strategies and action that will support the transition to zero-pollution, both in the Bay Area and in other jurisdictions seeking to move away from gas heating.
SPUR added it's support to a letter to Mayor Breed organized by SF Climate Emergency Coalition to defend funding for key staff positions at San Francisco Department of the Environment. SFE's request of $1.8 million in FY 2024-25 and $1.6 million in FY 2025-26 is tiny portion of the city's budget, but would defend staff critical to leveraging tens of millions in grant funding for climate mitigation and resilience programs.
SPUR joined a comment letter with other advocacy partners advising the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on the adoption of zero-emission space and water heater standards for the state. The letter encourages CARB to align standards with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's new rules on zero-emission space and water heating, and provides additional recommendations for analysis and implementation.
The Draft Plan was released in late January by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in collaboration with the City of San Francisco, to build coastal flood defenses along the Port's 7.5-mile jurisdiction between Aquatic Park and Heron's Head Park. The Draft Flood Study's proposed adaptation strategies will lead the way for regional and statewide efforts on sea level rise adaptation over the next 50 to 100 years. SPUR, Save the Bay, and Greenbelt Alliance submitted a public comment letter with five recommendations regarding proposed actions around elevating the shoreline, mitigating contamination, addressing inland flooding from stormwater and groundwater, the use of bay fill, and nature-based solutions. Read the letter to learn more.