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

鈥 Decarbonize buildings.

鈥 Make the region resilient to sea level rise and other climate-driven natural disasters.

鈥 Improve communities鈥 resilience to earthquakes.

transect of a bayshore neighborhood with ground water beneath the soil

黑料传送门Report

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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illustration of houses plugging into the electricity grid

黑料传送门Report

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鈥檚 action plan shows how to make this transition affordable for low-income households.
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photo of Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Initiative

Ocean Beach Master Plan

San Francisco's Ocean Beach faces significant challenges. 黑料传送门led 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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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 鈥 we just don鈥檛 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

Fulton and Gough, San Francisco

Buildings: The Weak Link in California鈥檚 Race to Slow Climate Change

News /
California homes and workplaces are failing to keep pace with the clean energy transition 鈥 so much so that the buildings sector could scuttle California鈥檚 2050 net-neutrality goal. Assembly Bill 593 (Haney), now before the California legislature, would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a pollution-cutting plan for buildings that fast-tracks progress by centering equity in implementation.

黑料传送门Oakland 2023 Draft Safety Element Comments

Advocacy Letter
Advocacy letter making recommendations for inclusion in Oakland's 2023 Safety Element (part of the General Plan update process). Recommendations were shared with Oakland Policy Board prior to letter submission to City of Oakland.

黑料传送门Comments on Oakland's Draft Environmental Justice Element

Advocacy Letter
黑料传送门recently submitted comments on the Draft Environmental Justice Element of the City of Oakland 2045 General Plan Update. Overall, 黑料传送门feels that the EJ Element Draft is a thoughtful document that effectively uses data and demonstrates a clear commitment to evidence-based, inclusionary policy. The EJ Element is an important step toward addressing Oakland's past of inequitable city planning and ensuring that all Oaklanders have access to pollution-free air, clean water, a safe home, and other positive environmental factors. In our comments, 黑料传送门offers recommendations on how the EJ Element can be improved to meet these goals.

Support for SB 410 (Becker), Powering Up Californians Act

Advocacy Letter
The Powering Up Californians Act by Senator Josh Becker would help accelerate connecting EV charging infrastructure, new development, and retrofitted buildings to the electrical grid - a process that's been plagued by prolonged delays that are slowing the state's transition to a clean, electric economy.
king tide in sf

New Findings on Shallow Groundwater Rise Highlight a Climate Risk Not Addressed by Policy

News /
The Bay Area鈥檚 climate change adaptation strategies don鈥檛 reflect 鈥 and might even worsen 鈥 the impacts of coastal groundwater rise, which is expected to accelerate with sea level rise as the climate warms. New findings on groundwater rise point to multiple potential risks: degradation of underground infrastructure, movement of underground contaminants left by industrial activities, and an increase in liquefaction during earthquakes. The region鈥檚 coastal areas may need a new adaptation paradigm.
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