Bring your walking shoes and join us for a walking tour of Northeastern University Oakland, which merged with the historic Mills College in 2022. We’ll explore the beautiful Julia Morgan-designed historic buildings that tell the story of the iconic women's college, while learning about the expanded curriculum and global opportunities now available through Northeastern's distinctive educational approach—all on one beautiful campus that honors its past while embracing its future.

Join Randy Shaw, longtime activist and Executive Director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, and Katie Conry, Director of the Tenderloin Museum, for an in-depth conversation about the future of San Francisco’s historic Tenderloin neighborhood. The discussion will delve into how the Tenderloin can regain the momentum it was building prior to the pandemic, and what role local and city government should play in the neighborhood's revitalization.

This event will look at the challenges that SPUR raised in its 2021 report Making Government Work and explore how city governance can adapt to meet the needs of Oaklanders. We will explore past efforts to revise Oakland’s charter, and the unique structure that has been left in the wake of those decisions. Panelists will explore Oakland’s current structure and discuss changes needed to make government work better.

City streets are evolving, and the use of curbside lanes for parklets and other public-serving uses has been at the forefront of the possibilities for their transformation. The International Parklet Symposium, California will be held in San Francisco from April 10 through April 12, 2025, during San Francisco Restaurant Week, and will build on the rich dialogue and global insights shared at the first International Parklet Symposium in Bologna, Italy in September 2024. Day 1 sessions will be held at the Center for Architecture & Design and Gehl Studio. Learn more at centersf.org

This April, SPUR is hosting an Earth Month exhibit titled, Watermarks. Watermarks explores San Francisco's local challenges with extreme storms, flooding, and sea level rise in the face of climate change – and the Climate change can feel perpetually like a future problem, making it difficult to connect the decisions of today to the future of tomorrow.

City streets are evolving, and the use of curbside lanes for parklets and other public-serving uses has been at the forefront of the possibilities for their transformation. The International Parklet Symposium, California will be held in San Francisco from April 10 through April 12, 2025, during San Francisco Restaurant Week, and will build on the rich dialogue and global insights shared at the first International Parklet Symposium in Bologna, Italy in September 2024. Day 2 session will be held at the SPUR Urban Center and various other locations. Learn more at centersf.org

City streets are evolving, and the use of curbside lanes for parklets and other public-serving uses has been at the forefront of the possibilities for their transformation. The International Parklet Symposium, California will be held in San Francisco from April 10 through April 12, 2025, during San Francisco Restaurant Week, and will build on the rich dialogue and global insights shared at the first International Parklet Symposium in Bologna, Italy in September 2024. Day 3 sessions will be held at the SPUR Urban Center and Great Highway Park. Learn more at centersf.org

The Bay Area's biggest transit agencies including MUNI, BART, Caltrain and AC Transit are at a critical juncture and face severe operating cuts unless new funding can be found. Join SPUR and a panel of experts from transit operators, MTC and the State Legislature to hear the latest about efforts to identify new sources of funding that can keep the trains and buses running.

The Circular Economy is a resource and production model that aims to reform our entire economy through reducing material usage, reusing materials, and recycling materials to avoid most or all waste. Buildings in particular, are a carbon and material intensive part of our economy and are a core focus area of circular economy practitioners. The Netherlands is a pioneer of circular innovation, with private sector entrepreneurs and public sector policy makers carving out new frontiers in circular design and economy-wide coordination. During this panel, SPUR will speak to practitioners from the Netherlands, and the US, to explore how San Francisco and other cities in the Bay Area can reuse and repurpose our built environment, reduce waste, and create new markets that reward circular innovation.

Think you can outsmart rising seas? Try to Stay Afloat at our Living with Water Trivia Night, co-hosted with Arcadis, during San Francisco Climate Week! Test your knowledge of flood risks, climate change, and adaptation strategies while connecting with fellow climate enthusiasts and community members.

Step into the past and see into the future with an augmented reality tour of San Francisco’s evolving waterfront. This walking tour will start at SPUR Urban Center and end at the Ferry Building.

Tourism in San Francisco has taken a big hit, with reduced visitation from China, sluggish business travel, and low bookings for conventions and large events. But there are many reasons to be optimistic for 2025 and beyond. The Bay Area will host major international sport events in 2026, including FIFA World Cup matches and the Super Bowl, with huge potential to bring more visitors to San Francisco and to fill up hotels. Big conventions are starting to come back to Moscone Center. Concerts, festivals, night markets, and new entertainment zones are transforming the streets and creating new opportunities for residents, workers, and visitors to enjoy the city. In this panel discussion, we will hear more about the role of tourism in the city's economy, how the industry is positioning itself for transformation and recovery, and the opportunities that lie ahead.

With the vast majority of Bay Area cities now having certified Housing Elements—state-mandated plans outlining how they will meet local housing needs—the focus must now shift to implementation. How do we ensure these commitments translate into real action? Co-hosted with Partnership for the Bay's Future, East Bay Housing Organizations and Public Advocates, this event will explore strategies for tracking cities' progress, overcoming implementation barriers, and leveraging resources to support effective housing production and preservation.

Co-hosted with Partnership for the Bay's Future, join us for a timely and insightful panel discussion exploring the state’s interest in social housing and the evolving landscape of public housing in the U.S. As the demand for affordable housing grows, we will delve into the critical challenges that have shaped the operations of federal public housing. This event will also serve as an opportunity to raise awareness about the critical work that PHAs do in providing affordable, reliable housing and why consistent public funding is essential for addressing the ongoing housing crisis