photo of estuary at Crissy Field at sunset

Sustainability and Resilience

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.

transect of a bayshore neighborhood with ground water beneath the soil

ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅReport

Look Out Below

Bay Area cities planning for sea level rise need to address another emerging hazard: groundwater rise. Our case study on East Palo Alto offers recommendations applicable to other vulnerable communities along the San Francisco Bay shore.
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transect of a bayshore neighborhood with ground water beneath the soil

ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅReport

Look Out Below

Bay Area cities planning for sea level rise need to address another emerging hazard: groundwater rise. Our case study on East Palo Alto offers recommendations applicable to other vulnerable communities along the San Francisco Bay shore.
Read More
illustration of houses plugging into the electricity grid

ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅReport

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from polluting gas furnaces and water heaters to zero-emissions electric heat pumps. SPUR’s action plan shows how to make this transition affordable for low-income households.
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illustration of houses plugging into the electricity grid

ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅReport

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

New Bay Area regulations are ushering in a transition from polluting gas furnaces and water heaters to zero-emissions electric heat pumps. SPUR’s action plan shows how to make this transition affordable for low-income households.
Read More
photo of Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Initiative

Ocean Beach Master Plan

San Francisco's Ocean Beach faces significant challenges. ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅled a public process to develop a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access.
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photo of Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Initiative

Ocean Beach Master Plan

San Francisco's Ocean Beach faces significant challenges. ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅled a public process to develop a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access.
Read More
historic photo of houses damaged in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Initiative

The Resilient City

We know that another major earthquake will strike San Francisco — we just don’t know when. SPUR's Resilient City Initiative recommends steps the city should take before, during, and after the next big quake.
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historic photo of houses damaged in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Initiative

The Resilient City

We know that another major earthquake will strike San Francisco — we just don’t know when. SPUR's Resilient City Initiative recommends steps the city should take before, during, and after the next big quake.
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Updates and Events

report cover

Water for a Growing Bay Area

ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅReport /
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 ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅand the Pacific Institute says yes. We can use the same amount of water — or even less — if we invest in efficiency measures, pursue compact land use and commit to better mechanisms to share water regionally.
Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant

Progress on Keeping the Water Flowing

News /
Making sure everyone can afford clean water has long been an issue, but the economic hardships of COVID-19 have exacerbated the problem. ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅaddressed water bill debt in the wake of the pandemic in our January 2021 policy brief Keeping the Water On. Since the publication of the brief, state and local policy on water affordability and sustainability has made progress, which we discussed in a recent ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅDigital Discourse.

A No-Cost Rooftop Solar Stimulus

Policy Brief /
When cities emerge from the COVID-19 emergency and start to organize around economic recovery, California and the Bay Area should look to significantly expand employment in the solar industry. While there’s little money in state and local budgets to support this job expansion, state and local governments can provide a no-cost solar stimulus by streamlining the stack of codes and requirements that delay solar installations and drive up costs.
San José

Climate Justice: The Peril, the Progress and the Path Forward

News /
Climate discourse has often relied on moral platitudes, abstract facts and figures, and an over-emphasis on the consequences of climate change to incite action. What if instead we turned to a framework of justice and equity? SPUR’s Ideas + Action 2021: Sustainability & Resilience symposium focused on how to create a climate movement centered on community and people. International climate experts, elected officials and environmental leaders discussed the perils, progress and path forward to creating a hopeful, sustainable future.
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