transect diagram of a shoreline community with groundwater underneath the soil

Look Out Below

Reducing the risk of groundwater rise in Bay shore cities

Illustration of houses plugging into electricity

Closing the Electrification Affordability Gap

Planning an equitable transition away from fossil fuel heat in Bay Area buildings

illustration of yellow houses on a dark blue background

Structured for Success

Reforming housing governance in California and the Bay Area

people sitting in a parklet with a colorful mural outside a cafe

The 15-Minute Neighborhood

A framework for equitable growth and complete communities in San José and beyond

sf cityscape

Office-to-Residential Conversion in Downtown SF

Can converting office space to housing help revitalize downtown?

illustration of a vibrant neighborhood with cyclists, pedestrians, bike lanes, benches, trees

The 2024 SPUR Annual Report

Celebrating our big wins of the past year

How Much Housing Should the Bay Area Have Built to Avoid the Current Housing Crisis?

News /
One of the key causes cited for the Bay Area’s housing affordability crisis is that demand for housing continually outstrips the available supply. If only the region had built more housing, extreme competition for a limited number of units wouldn’t be driving prices so high. How much housing should the region have built? SPUR presents new data to answer this question.

San Jose Makes a Bold Move to Realize Its Climate Smart Goals

News /
Since launching Climate Smart San Jose in February 2018, the City of San Jose has been leading the charge to reduce air pollution, conserve water, and create a stronger and healthier community. Recognizing that all sectors need to help meet these goals, city staff proposed an ordinance that would increase commercial building energy efficiency through a transparent open-data benchmarking tool. SPUR strongly supports the ordinance.

Did the Bay Area Reach a “Grand Bargain” to Solve Housing?

News /
The Bay Area’s housing shortage and affordability crisis is arguably the greatest threat to its future. In January, the region took an important step forward with the endorsement of the CASA Compact, a grand bargain among dozens of governments and organizations to arrive at real solutions.

Finding Transit

Policy Brief
Navigating transit in the Bay Area is complicated: Each of the region's 27 transit operators develops its own maps, using a wide range of styles, symbols, graphics and language. Research shows that well-designed transit maps can increase ridership and improve passengers’ understanding of the transit system. SPUR offers recommendations for creating better maps that can make Bay Area transit easier to understand and navigate.