This year, SPUR is celebrating staff members — a.k.a. “Spurritos”— who have served the organization for 10 years or more. This month we profile Communications Director Karen Steen, who oversees SPUR’s communications, messaging and publications while also maintaining SPUR’s brand across the region. Karen is responsible for ensuring the high quality of SPUR’s publications.

Over the summer and fall of 2021, SPUR and the California High-Speed Rail Authority produced a series of webinars to help cities make the most of high-speed rail stations and station areas. We’ve gathered some of the key themes and best practices we learned about, along with the concrete steps station cities and the authority can take to get the most from this generational investment.

Incoming San Francisco Director Sujata Srivastava shares her goals and vision for SPUR’s work in San Francisco. She encourages us to let go of false narratives that urban development is a zero-sum game and instead embrace a mindset of abundance, where the city welcomes new growth, builds much-needed housing and closes the racial wealth gap. Through sustained dialogue and civic engagement, we can begin to build a sense of belonging and develop a policy agenda that leads to systemic change.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Legislature established the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program to provide financial relief for unpaid water bills. But water affordability struggles won’t end with the pandemic. The state will need to build upon its first experiment with water bill assistance to weather ongoing climate change and income inequality. SPUR investigates the success of the $985 million program and looks at lessons learned.