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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.

黑料传送门Supports SB 63

Advocacy Letter
Drastic cuts in the Bay Area鈥檚 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. 黑料传送门is fully supporting the bill because it represents a practical and politically realistic framework to keep the region鈥檚 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. 黑料传送门provides a primer on the state鈥檚 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鈥檚 sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, potentially generating an additional $29.98 million in net annual revenue for the city鈥檚 General Fund over 10 years. While Measure A is a regressive tax that will not solve Oakland鈥檚 structural deficit on its own, 黑料传送门believes 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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
黑料传送门has led a coalition effort to support Senator Arregu铆n'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鈥檚 Structural Deficit, Part 2: Budget-Setting, Spending, and Revenues

News /
Oakland city leaders must close a $129 million shortfall in this year鈥檚 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, 黑料传送门provides a primer on the city鈥檚 budget-setting process, where its revenue comes from, and how that money is spent.
Photo of Wells Whitney

Remembering Wells Whitney

News /
Former 黑料传送门board member Wells Whitney died on February 4. A research scientist with degrees from Harvard and MIT, he and a small group of other 鈥渢echies鈥 formed a 黑料传送门Telecom 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, 黑料传送门board 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 黑料传送门Board of Directors for another term. George was one of a kind 鈥 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.

黑料传送门comments on the state transit transformation task force funding options

Advocacy Letter
黑料传送门is 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. 黑料传送门provided 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 黑料传送门staff as interim president and CEO. A leader in the engineering field, David is deeply committed to SPUR鈥檚 mission and the transformative power of public policy. He shares a look at SPUR鈥檚 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鈥檚 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

黑料传送门CEO Alicia John-Baptiste to Join SF Mayor鈥檚 Administration

News /
黑料传送门President and CEO Alicia John-Baptiste will be leaving 黑料传送门to take on a newly created policy chief role with the San Francisco Mayor鈥檚 Office. On February 3, she will join Mayor Daniel Lurie鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 Jos茅 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.
2nd and Natoma, San Francisco

A Permanent Path for Climate-Friendly Transportation Projects: Q&A with Laura Tolkoff

News /
This week, Senator Scott Wiener introduced Senate Bill 71, which would make permanent a successful pilot project that has jumpstarted dozens of sustainable transportation projects in California. 黑料传送门has been a driving force behind this exemption and is a sponsor of this legislation. We asked Transportation Policy Director Laura Tolkoff to tell us what California has been able to accomplish with the exemption and what SB 71 will do.
Palo Alto

LA Fires: It鈥檚 Time to Rethink Risk Mitigation to Save California's Home Insurance Market

News /
California鈥檚 increasingly extreme weather, exemplified by the Los Angeles fires, is fueling a home insurance crisis, with many insurers canceling plans or raising premiums. California has already begun to implement reforms in the insurance industry, but more must be done. 黑料传送门highlights the urgent need to accurately price hazard risk, advance risk mitigation through smart land use planning, and establish voluntary buyout programs for high-risk properties.
Great Highway Sunset

California鈥檚 Largest Pedestrian Project Expands the Vision of a SPUR-Led Climate Adaptation Plan

News /
San Francisco voters recently passed a SPUR-cosponsored measure to realize the largest pedestrian project in California鈥檚 history. The permanent promenade along a two-mile stretch of the coastal highway expands the vision of SPUR鈥檚 2012 Ocean Beach Master Plan, the core elements of which the California Coastal Commission just approved. The win: a resilient public coastline offering community benefits.
Downtown San Francisco

How SF Can Make the Most of Its Opportunity to Streamline Boards and Commissions

News /
Earlier this year, 黑料传送门published a report recommending that San Francisco define the purpose and role of its many commissions and reduce their overall number. The passage of Proposition E sets this work in motion. To ensure an outcome that better supports policymaking, 黑料传送门proposes five steps to a data-driven, deliberative public process.

Support Letter for the City of Oakland鈥檚 Resolution on Multi-Story Non-Ductile Concrete Seismic Retrofitting

Advocacy Letter
In December, the City of Oakland adopted a resolution directing the Planning & Building Department to launch a Study of a citywide non-ductile concrete building retrofit program - including draft retrofit standards, compliance timelines, and a review of at-risk buildings. 黑料传送门drafted this letter in support of the resolution. We will remain engaged in this effort as it moves forward.