Limits the number of commissions that the city can have, reduces the administrative powers of commissions, and restores the mayor’s authority to hire and fire most department heads.
Establishes a task force charged with making recommendations to the mayor and Board of Supervisors on reforming San Francisco’s boards and commissions.
Establishes a new public open recreation space on the Upper Great Highway (between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard) and permanently closes the road to private vehicles.
Adds a business tax on ride-hail platforms and autonomous vehicle companies that provide rides within San Francisco and uses tax revenue to fund public transportation services and programs.
Reforms the business tax structure in San Francisco to increase the city’s economic resilience, adapt to post-COVID hybrid work patterns, create more transparency for taxpayers, and help small businesses.
reduces the voter approval threshold from two-thirds to 55% for local government general obligation bonds to fund affordable housing and a range of public infrastructure projects.
Repeals the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995 and prohibits the state from limiting the right of cities and counties to maintain, enact, or expand local residential rent control ordinances.
As an advocate for high-quality transit, ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅhas at times been one of Muni’s critics. In a 2005 report, we argued that the agency was in a downward spiral, but now Muni appears to be enjoying a virtuous cycle. That cycle can only continue with voter support of Propositions L and M on the November ballot.
The 2024 state legislative year ended with a number of big wins for ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅand our partners in affordable housing and transportation advocacy. Governor Newsom signed hundreds of bills into law, including six pieces of SPUR-sponsored legislation that will make housing faster and easier to build, support development of interim housing for unhoused people, and make dangerous roads safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
As the Bay Area phases out sales of gas furnaces and water heaters, more and more property owners will need to install zero-pollution, high-efficiency electric heat pumps in homes. But the current process is complicated and expensive. City planners must quickly make that installation easier and more affordable. In a previous article, ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅrecommended zoning code strategies. In this installment, we explore permitting and inspection improvements.
In 2023, California adopted SB 272 which requires Bay Area jurisdictions on the shoreline to develop sea level rise adaptation plans as part of a regionally coordinated approach managed by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). To launch this effort, BCDC spent the passed year working with regional stakeholders to develop the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP). This framework seeks to guide local planning while establishing regional priorities to ensure collaborative shoreline resilience planning. ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅhas long advocated for regional planning in the face of sea level rise, and has worked in partnership with regional agencies like BCDC to advance regional priorities. As an RSAP advisory group member, ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅcontributed to the development of the RSAP by advocating for things like clearer metrics on outcomes, improved data on groundwater rise and combined flood risks, and the inclusion of impacts of flooding on shoreline contaminated sites in environmental justice communities. SPUR's public comment letter, submitted on October 18, 2024, outlines recommendations for improving both the RSAP document and the technical assistance program that BCDC is developing to support jurisdictions with planning, funding access, project prioritization, etc.
35 years ago this week, the Loma Prieta earthquake was a wakeup call the Bay Area heeded. In the years since the magnitude 6.9 quake hit, state, regional, and municipal action has improved the seismic safety of the region’s buildings and other infrastructure. However, gaps remain in the region’s preparedness for the estimated 51% chance of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the next 30 years.
