Hazard mitigation and climate adaptation investments — overlooked until disaster strikes — reduce long-term damage, save lives, and lower recovery costs. Yet just as the stakes of climate hazards skyrocket, the federal government has begun to retreat from its leadership role in mitigation, leaving states and local governments scrambling to fill the gap.

The City of San Francisco has implemented all six of SPUR’s recommendations to accelerate adaptive reuse projects. By converting obsolete office buildings into housing, the city will provide significant economic, social, and environmental benefits: more housing for workers, support for small businesses and cultural organizations, increased office space value, and greater property and sales tax revenues.

After an especially fraught budget season, Governor Newsom signed the state budget into law on June 30, providing critically needed relief funding for public transit. The lifeline from the state will buy time to avoid service cuts in the near term. Long-term stability hinges on passage of a tax measure and reauthorization of the Cap-and-Trade Program.

For San Francisco’s new planning director, the 2007 recession was revelatory: no matter a city’s vision, market realities and risk management dictate development outcomes. That realization sparked Sarah Dennis-Philips’ curiosity about how capital flows and public policies influence what actually gets built. In a world where planning, land use, and growth are no longer predictable or sequential, Sarah says the role of city planner has expanded from designer and regulator to strategist, facilitator, and problem solver.

Heat pumps can heat and cool buildings, reduce greenhouse gasses, and improve indoor and outdoor air quality. So why aren’t they more common in California? A web of complex requirements, restrictive zoning and planning codes, excessive documentation requirements, and high fees have hindered adoption. SPUR’s Sam Fishman explains current permitting headaches and walks us through how to smooth the way to a gas-free future for buildings.