Shared Risk, Shared Resilience
New governance structures for community wildfire resilience
How Cities Can Band Together to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Costs: Q&A with Sarah Atkinson and Colleen Corrigan
News / In the wake of the devastating Los Angeles fires in January 2025, SPUR examined wildfire mitigation in the Bay Area and to explore opportunities to improve management strategies. In a new report, SPUR's Sarah Atkinson and Colleen Corrigan find that neighboring cities with shared wildfire risk could significantly improve their resilience by establishing coordinating entities. We asked them about the governance models they studied and how this research may support action on other climate hazards.
Shared Risk, Shared Resilience
SPUR Report / On the one-year anniversary of the Los Angeles fires, a new SPUR report examines the Bay Area’s vulnerability to fire risk. Responsibility for wildfire prevention in California is spread across multiple government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. Fire mitigation is undermined by fragmented coordination, short-term or insufficient funding, and weak alignment between local risk reduction efforts and the insurance market. SPUR recommends new governance structures for achieving community wildfire resilience.
Remembering Mike Teitz
News / Michael B. Teitz, a former two-term SPUR board member, professor emeritus of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, died December 17 at age 90. He was a member of the SPUR Regional Policy Board and the SPUR Ballot Analysis Committee.
How San José Can Fill Its Vacant Ground-Floor Office Spaces to Speed Economic Recovery: Q&A with Erika McLitus and Sujata Srivastava
News / Like many urban centers, downtown San José is grappling with low daytime foot traffic and high vacancies in office and commercial buildings. A new policy brief from SPUR suggests that filling empty ground-floor spaces is a critical first step to long-term economic revitalization. We spoke with the brief's authors, Erika McLitus and Sujata Srivastava, about how SPUR’s recommended policy changes can support local artists and entrepreneurs and bring new energy to downtown.
Equitably Transitioning to Clean Water Heating in the Bay Area: State of Play for 2026
News / The Bay Area is shifting to zero-emission heat pump water heaters by phasing out the sale of smaller residential gas models. Despite the loss of federal tax credits, SPUR’s analysis shows that combining local and state incentives helps many residents purchase heat pump water heaters at prices comparable to those of gas models. However, continued incentives and new financing options are crucial to ensure low-income residents can afford the transition.