The Downtown Rail Extension (DTX) project is a multi-billion dollar effort that will extend Caltrain and the future California High-Speed Rail service into the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco. With an estimated cost of $5 billion and led by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, DTX aims to increase commuter rail access for more seamless mobility, ultimately connecting 11 Bay Area transit systems , and lay the groundwork for high-speed rail in the region. This increased connectivity across the region will have impacts on the future economic vitality of the Bay Area. Join us at the historic Ferry Building to learn more and discuss the project with leaders spearheading the work.

According to research from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 70.4% of California’s nearly 162,000 homeless population were unsheltered on a single night in January 2020. Governor Newsom signed landmark legislation in 2021 to address California’s housing crisis and boost the state’s supply of residential dwellings. These policies aim to streamline development and increase housing density. How have these measures been implemented to help Californians find homes and create vibrant neighborhoods in the Golden State? Join us for a conversation with Regina Celestin Williams, Executive Director of SV@Home, and Michael Lane, SPUR’s state Policy Director, to hear an update on how the state’s housing policies will impact our region and learn about bills currently making their way through the State’s legislature.

San Francisco’s economic recovery is progressing more slowly than other urban centers across the globe. Factors like a low percentage of employees returning to the office, a 22.4% commercial vacancy rate in Q4 of 2021, and less tourism are key contributors to the slower levels of market growth. The decline in major drivers of the city’s economy has wide-reaching implications, particularly in downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Join us for a presentation by Ted Egan, San Francisco’s Chief Economist, and Alexander Quinn, JLL’s Director of Research for Northern California, to learn the specifics about San Francisco’s economic trends and potential solutions for current challenges. Sujata Srivastava, SPUR’s San Francisco Director, is moderating the discussion.

While California’s labor market experienced significant losses during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic , t he state has since gained back 75% of lost jobs as of November 2021 according to data from the UC Berkeley Labor Center . As the economy recovers, government leaders must continue to address employment challenges and chart a course forward toward financial stability for all Californians. Join SPUR for a conversation with the Lieutenant Governor of California, Eleni Kounalakis, to hear an update about California’s job creation and economic recovery efforts. This conversation is moderated by Nick Josefowitz, SPUR’s Chief Policy Officer.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, regional transportation agencies have pivoted strategies to keep Bay Area communities moving with the help of about $4B in federal emergency funds. How will the region’s backbone transit agencies navigate the financial shortfall when federal relief funds are drawn down? Join us for a conversation with SFMTA, Caltrain and BART to learn about how they have adapted to the current landscape and hear an update on the financial outlook in the coming year. Join SPUR for a discussion on how we keep the Bay Area moving as we begin to come back together as a city and community. Our panel features leaders transportation leaders from across the Bay Area working to ensure that each transit agency continues to serve all Bay Area residents.

An influx of federal, state and local funding has positioned San Francisco to address homelessness with an unprecedented investment of more than $1.1 billion over the next two years. Mayor London Breed’s Homeless Recovery Plan aims to create 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing by July 2022. One strategy to help meet this goal is to purchase and convert hotels into new permanently supportive housing. Join SPUR for a presentation from Shireen McSpadden , Executive Director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, to learn more about financing, permitting, and partnerships in this process. Director McSpadden will provide an overview of San Francisco’s efforts to acquire and rehabilitate sites, address community concerns, and share lessons learned.

Small businesses are vital to the social and economic vibrancy of our communities. Yet, over 45% of San Francisco’s small businesses remain closed, according to a recent city report. Join SPUR for a discussion on how we revitalize San Francisco as we begin to come back together as a city and community. Our panel features leaders working to ensure that small businesses throughout the city have a resilient future.

As we begin to come together again as a society, we must determine how to use this pivotal moment as an opportunity to embrace change going forward. Bay Area leaders across sectors are committed to fundamentally altering the systems that led to such disparate and devastating outcomes over the course of the pandemic. This is both a recognition of systemic racism and its effects, and a recognition that our most fundamental systems – whether housing or economic access – must change if we are going to achieve a fair, healthy and stable society. Join SPUR President and CEO, Alicia John-Baptiste, in discussion with Mayors Breed, Liccardo, and Schaaf to learn how we can collectively work toward a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous Bay Area.

The San Francisco Bay Area has enjoyed decades of prosperity, becoming a symbol of wealth and innovation. But what if the word growth — so often associated with the world of tech — evolved to mean something else entirely? Join SPUR in conversation with leaders from tech and the public sector working towards SPUR’s New Civic Vision that expands the definition of growth to bring new opportunities into existing neighborhoods, creating more prosperous and diverse communities for all.

Small businesses continue to reinvent themselves in response to evolving neighborhoods, the changing retail landscape and economic recessions. In the past year, it has become clear how vital small businesses are to our communities. Black-owned small businesses and businesses of color are especially critical, serving as important cultural and community hubs. Join SPUR for a panel discussion with community leaders from Oakland. The panel will explore these topics and share lessons for the region on how to ensure these small businesses survive the current economic downturn and flourish into the future.