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We don’t usually start our end-of-year message by talking about how our organization is structured, but we’re excited about a significant milestone SPUR reached in 2015. Effective October 1, we legally incorporated our San Jose and Oakland offices, together with San Francisco, into our governance structure. This is the biggest change for SPUR in a century and a major step forward in our vision to become a regional organization that does deep work in the three major cities of the Bay Area. SPUR remains one organization, with one staff, one board and one mission: to promote good planning and good government.
Our vision for the Bay Area is to:
1. Concentrate growth inside existing cities.
2. Build great neighborhoods.
3. Make it affordable to live here.
4. Give people better ways to get where they need to go.
5. Lay the foundations of economic prosperity — for everyone.
6. Reduce our ecological footprint and prepare for climate change.
7. Support local government.
Most regional decisions are actually made by local governments, and SPUR’s core competency lies in urban policy: We know how to work at the city level. Working in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland means we can affect local decisions that affect our region — and vice versa. It means we can work toward our seven-point vision with a much greater chance of success, by helping to coordinate policy and planning work across the region — particularly in the three central cities that house a third of our residents and jobs, and a growing share into the future.
We entered into our work in Oakland and San Jose with great humility about how much we have to learn. We are doing out best to bring our own knowledge about urban problems and solutions — gathered from cities all over the world — to bear on the key issues we face here in the Bay Area.
This is only the beginning. We’ve built an organization that can have an enormous impact, at both the city and regional scale, to promote a livable, sustainable, prosperous urban Bay Area.
We are so grateful to our members for supporting this regional expansion. It wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of thousands of SPUR members and donors who have understood the potential of this vision. While a governance change isn’t sexy or inspiring, it is hard work. And it’s critical to the success of our institution to be structured for the highest and best impact.
We invite you to give to SPUR as this momentous year comes to a close for all of us: the members of a bigger and better regional SPUR.
Here’s how you can show your support:
Become a Member >>
Becoming a member of SPUR is the best way to support our efforts to create ideas and action for a better city.
Make a Year-End Gift >>
If you’re already a member, you can further support our research, education and advocacy programs.
We are grateful for your involvement in our community of urbanists. Our work would not be possible without it.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Metcalf
President and CEO
PS: For those aged 70½ or older, it is once again possible to make tax-favored charitable gifts from traditional and Roth IRA accounts. On December 18, 2015, Congress passed legislation retroactively extending the charitable IRA rollover for 2015. Check with us, your IRA administrator or your tax advisor for more information.