Thanks to COVID-19, life in the Bay Area is very different than it was only a week ago. Our cities have a lot to learn from the current situation, and a lot to teach as well. The following are some lessons that we at SPUR are taking from the pandemic, which we hope will help guide future thinking and policymaking.

California is long overdue for a world-class transportation system that can support a growing economy, help expand economic opportunity to long-underserved areas of the state and support our ambitious carbon reduction priorities. The high-speed rail network currently under construction in the Central Valley can deliver on those bold objectives, but we must remain committed to fully funding its completion.

As the coronavirus continues to make headlines, SPUR is keeping members and event attendees updated and informed on the precautions we are taking in response to the recent outbreak.

San Francisco supervisors are about to vote on a plan amendment that would bring affordable housing, community benefits and open space improvements to the Market Octavia area. Some are calling for the amendment to set affordability and public benefit requirements even higher. But the way to get the most benefit for San Francisco from this proposal is simply to pass it as it stands.

Around the San Francisco Bay, a number of different processes are underway to address sea level rise, coastal flooding and other climate change impacts on the Bay shoreline. To bring all of these efforts together and make sure they complement — rather than compete with — one another, SPUR and SFEI propose four policy ideas for how to govern adaptation strategies across the region.