Purchasing Power
Improving San Francisco’s procurement process to deliver more equitable services
Success on the Street
How California’s CEQA exemption can help cities build modern mobility faster
Remembering Joe Bodovitz
News /
SPUR’s first deputy director, Joseph Bodovitz, died on March 9, 2024, at age 93, following a very influential career in public service and environmental protection. A remembrance by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission observed, “Nobody in the entire State of California was more influential in developing California’s coastal zone management policies than Joe Bodovitz.” And it all started at SPUR.
Planning by Ballot
Research
ϴhas created the most up-to-date database of local land use ballot measures that impact housing production in California. Many of the 208 measures we identified curb urban sprawl and protect open space. But others undermine infill housing production in urbanized areas. Over the long term, measures that restrict infill housing can undermine housing affordability and have the potential to exacerbate racial segregation.
An Affordable Transition to Zero-Pollution, Climate-Friendly Homes in the Bay Area
News /
A first-in-the-nation air quality standard for home heating equipment will dramatically improve the Bay Area's air quality, save lives, and help the state meet its climate goals. What will ensure that everyone can afford healthy, efficient, and carbon-free heat pumps? ϴlays out how to use funding, financing, and market development to ensure heat pumps are affordable through 2027 and beyond.
March 2024 Voter Guide
Voter Guide /
For the March 2024 election, ϴanalyzed local and state measures related to our policy areas on the California and San Francisco ballots. Our analysis includes the background behind the measures, equity impacts, pros and cons, and a recommendation on how to vote. (Note: There were no regional or San José measures related to ϴpolicy areas on this ballot. ϴdid not analyze Oakland Measure D because it qualified for the ballot after ϴcompleted its analysis process.)
Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap
ϴReport
New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from gas furnaces and water heaters to electric-powered heat pumps, which heat air and water without emitting harmful pollutants, use far less energy, and would greatly reduce the region’s carbon emissions. A major challenge in adopting heat pumps is that, for now, they cost more to install. SPUR’s detailed action plan shows how incentives and electrical code changes can help the Bay Area make this transition affordable for low-income households.