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cover of brief with title in white text on red background

The Next 100 Days

Policy Brief
San Francisco’s new mayor has made significant strides in his first 100 days in office. To maintain the momentum for change, the Lurie administration will need to set priorities in a time of many competing needs. SPUR’s new brief offers a framework for developing policies to streamline government operations, revitalize downtown, create more housing, support transit, prepare for climate hazards and earthquakes, and reduce fossil fuel use.
Nicole Neditch

How San Francisco Can Improve Public Services and Lower Costs: Q&A with Nicole Neditch

News /
Procuring goods and services is a critical facet of San Francisco’s operations, totaling more than a third of the city’s annual budget. Although the system aims to enhance service delivery and foster sustainable practices, its web of regulations results in a process that takes months or even years, limits competition, and increases costs for public goods and services. We talked to SPUR’s Nicole Neditch about how San Francisco can make its procurement system more effective, equitable, and responsive to community needs.
San Francisco Summer

Why ϴIs Supporting SB 63, a Tax Measure to Keep Transit Alive

News /
Drastic cuts in the Bay Area’s transit services are all but guaranteed absent a regional transit funding measure. Senate Bill 63 would authorize several counties to place a tax measure on the November 2026 ballot in an effort to avoid such cuts. ϴstrongly supports the bill because it represents a practical and politically realistic framework to keep the region’s largest transit operators from going over a fiscal cliff.

RE: SB 282 (Wiener) - Heat Pump Permitting - SPONSOR

Advocacy Letter
SPUR, Building Decarbonization Coalition, and the Bay Area Air District are sponsoring SB 282 (Weiner) the Heat Pump Access Act. This draws on SPUR's prior work on heat pump permitting in the Bay Area, and would take bold steps to modernize permitting and reduce installation costs for residential heat pump installations statewide.
Illustration of people succeeding in climbing to the top of a staircase made of red tape

Purchasing Power

ϴReport
Procurement can be a powerful tool to realize San Francisco’s goals to reduce inequalities and protect the health, well-being, and financial security of its constituents. But the complicated maze of legislation and policies that govern the city’s procurement system is making it harder to reach these goals. Our newest report identifies procurement process improvements to better wield this tool for social gains.
Power Lines

Clean Heating for All Is Possible with Targeted Public Programs

News /
Getting gas heating out of homes is a big part of meeting the climate challenge. But doing so means ensuring that those with the least means and greatest pollution burdens are not left behind in the transition to clean heating. Cost support, technical support, educational resources, and community engagement can make the transition equitable.

ϴSupports SB 63

Advocacy Letter
Drastic cuts in the Bay Area’s transit services are all but guaranteed absent a regional transit funding measure. Senate Bill 63 would authorize placement of a multicounty tax measure on the November 2026 ballot in an effort to avoid such cuts. ϴis fully supporting the bill because it represents a practical and politically realistic framework to keep the region’s largest transit operators from going over a fiscal cliff
San Francisco Needs to Allow More Homes: A Housing Element Primer Image

Why (and Where) San Francisco Needs to Allow More Homes: A Housing Element Primer

News /
California has set a goal for San Francisco to build 82,069 new homes by 2031. Doing so will mean changing restrictive zoning policies that are currently hindering sufficient housing construction and keeping historic patterns of segregation in place. If the city fails to update its zoning, it risks losing state funding and local control over housing development. ϴprovides a primer on the state’s housing element law and what it means for San Francisco.
Downtown Oakland

Yes on Measure A: Sales Tax Increase to Help Oakland Close Its Budget Deficit

News /
On April 15, Oaklanders will vote on a proposed measure to raise the city’s sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, potentially generating an additional $29.98 million in net annual revenue for the city’s General Fund over 10 years. While Measure A is a regressive tax that will not solve Oakland’s structural deficit on its own, ϴbelieves this additional revenue source will help prevent fiscal insolvency and protect against further reductions in public safety services.
Cover of report with title in white text on blue background

Success on the Street

Policy Brief
For years, California’s bureaucratic environmental review process held up transportation projects designed to reduce carbon emissions, including transit upgrades and bike lanes. Recent legislation changes created a temporary exemption for sustainable projects, which has allowed 92 climate-friendly projects to move forward. To keep this momentum going and meet state climate goals, California must make the exemption permanent. SPUR’s new brief makes the case for this and other changes to streamline sustainable transportation in California.

State Budget Request to Save and Support Transit

Advocacy Letter
ϴhas led a coalition effort to support Senator Arreguín's request for $2 billion in the state budget to save and support transit. The request would provide funding to transit agencies around the state- many of whom are experiencing some form of fiscal crisis and are at risk of cutting service. In the Bay Area, this funding is urgently needed to act as a "bridge" keeping BART, MUNI and other operators solvent in the near term while the region works to raise more durable funding via a regional measure and local initiatives expected in 2026.
12th Street BART - Oakland City Hall

What It Will Take to Close Oakland’s Structural Deficit, Part 2: Budget-Setting, Spending, and Revenues

News /
Oakland city leaders must close a $129 million shortfall in this year’s budget and eliminate an additional $280 million deficit projected over the next two years. Now, policymakers, administrators, employee unions, and Oaklanders must work together to reduce spending and grow revenues. To support the process, ϴprovides a primer on the city’s budget-setting process, where its revenue comes from, and how that money is spent.
Photo of Wells Whitney

Remembering Wells Whitney

News /
Former ϴboard member Wells Whitney died on February 4. A research scientist with degrees from Harvard and MIT, he and a small group of other “techies” formed a ϴTelecom Technology Task Force in 1999 to advocate for fairness and inclusion in digital infrastructure. Their work helped San Francisco bridge the digital divide by requiring cell phone providers to offer affordable access across the city.
George A. Miller sitting at his booth at Sam's Grill wearing a T-shirt with one of his aphorisms

Remembering George Miller

News /
George A. Miller, ϴboard member from 2015 to 2022, member of the Finance Committee, and past member of the Ballot Analysis Committee, died on February 4, two days before his 89th birthday, as he was preparing to rejoin the ϴBoard of Directors for another term. George was one of a kind — a deep thinker, an urbanist, an environmentalist, a brilliant investment strategist, and an irreverent raconteur who was smart enough not to take himself too seriously. He will be greatly missed.

ϴcomments on the state transit transformation task force funding options

Advocacy Letter
ϴis serving on the State Transit Transformation Task Force, established by SB 125 (2023). Among other topics, the Task Force is required to develop recommendations about how to fund and finance public transit. ϴprovided questions and reflections about the preliminary financial analysis, as well as strategies and recommendations for short-term, medium-term, and long-term funding.
Portrait of David Friedman

Message From SPUR's Interim CEO

News /
On February 3, David Friedman joined the ϴstaff as interim president and CEO. A leader in the engineering field, David is deeply committed to SPUR’s mission and the transformative power of public policy. He shares a look at SPUR’s policy agenda for 2025, including high-impact initiatives in housing, planning transportation, sustainability and resilience, and governance.
Headshots of Erika McLitus and Sujata Srivastava

How Arts and Cultural Strategies Can Revitalize Downtowns: Q&A with Erika McLitus and Sujata Srivastava

News /
Bay Area downtowns have faced significant social and economic challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new brief, SPUR’s Erika McLitus and Sujata Srivastava explore how cultural districts can play a transformative role in breathing new life into these urban landscapes. We asked them about the potential of cultural districts to both enhance the vibrancy of downtown areas and promote equity and belonging, ultimately paving the way for a more resilient urban future.
Alicia John-Baptiste speaking at an event

ϴCEO Alicia John-Baptiste to Join SF Mayor’s Administration

News /
ϴPresident and CEO Alicia John-Baptiste will be leaving ϴto take on a newly created policy chief role with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office. On February 3, she will join Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration as Chief of Infrastructure, Climate & Mobility. The position reports directly to the mayor and is part of a restructuring intended to help break down silos and reduce complexity in city government.
Downtown Oakland

What It Will Take to Close Oakland’s Structural Deficit, Part 1: How We Got Here

News /
Oakland is at a pivotal moment as city leaders work to address a significant budget shortfall of $129 million this year, with an additional $280 million projected over the next two years. Solutions to the city’s structural deficit may come from examining how past budget priorities and decisions led to current challenges.
dark blue report cover with title in white text

Culture As Catalyst

Policy Brief
Oakland, San Francisco, and San José are exploring how cultural districts can mitigate the economic and social impacts of office vacancies and reduced foot traffic in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful examples from Boston, Cleveland, Denver, and Philadelphia show how place-based cultural strategies can reactivate struggling neighborhoods to support businesses, create jobs, and make communities more resilient.