Former SPUR board member Wells Whitney died on February 4. A research scientist with degrees from Harvard and MIT, he and a small group of other “techies” formed a SPUR 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, SPUR 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 90th birthday, as he was preparing to rejoin the SPUR Board of Directors for another term. George was one of a kind — 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.

On February 3, David Friedman joined the SPUR staff as interim president and CEO. A leader in the engineering field, David is deeply committed to SPUR’s mission and the transformative power of public policy. He shares a look at SPUR’s policy agenda for 2025, including high-impact initiatives in housing, planning transportation, sustainability and resilience, and governance.

Bay Area downtowns have faced significant social and economic challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new brief, SPUR’s 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.

SPUR President and CEO Alicia John-Baptiste will be leaving SPUR to take on a newly created policy chief role with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office. On February 3, she will join Mayor Daniel Lurie’s 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.