Good Government
We believe: The public sector can and should serve the collective good.
• Improve government’s capacity to provide services and address challenges effectively.
• Support voter engagement.
Our Goals
SPUR Voter Guide
The SPUR Voter Guide
The SPUR Voter Guide helps voters understand the issues they will face in the voting booth. We focus on outcomes, not ideology, providing objective analysis on which measures will deliver real solutions.
SPUR Event
Good Government Awards
The Good Government Awards honor outstanding managers working for the City and County of San Francisco, recognizing them for their leadership, vision and ability to make a difference in city government and in the community.
SPUR Report
Back in the Black
San José has the highest median household income of any major city in the country, but years of budget cuts and staffing reductions have left the city in a precarious position. SPUR and Working Partnerships USA explore how San Jose can bolster its resources and deliver high-quality public services.
SPUR Event
SPUR Impact Awards
The Impact Awards Luncheon, honors the outstanding contributions by employees of city and county governments, public agencies and nonprofit organizations in Santa Clara County. The awards celebrate significant accomplishments in the areas of housing, transportation, placemaking and urban design, community advocacy, and sustainability and resilience.
Updates and Events
2020 SF Good Government Awards: Danielle Mieler Ensures the Safety of San Francisco’s Tall Buildings
News /
The 2020 Good Government Awards, held on March 4, recognized outstanding job performance by those serving the city and county of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Danielle Mieler for putting together San Francisco’s Tall Buildings Study, a multi-departmental analysis of the seismic safety for our city.
2020 SF Good Government Awards: Emylene Aspilla Improves Working Conditions for More Than 46,000 SFO Employees
News /
The 2020 Good Government Awards, held on March 4, recognized outstanding job performance by those serving the city and county of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Emylene Aspilla for her work improving work conditions for more than 46,000 SFO employees by working with organizations like BART, engaging the community and developing the innovative Workforce Employee Board.
SPUR weighs in on City of San Jose 2020-2021 city-wide priority setting
Advocacy Letter
SPUR supports six City Council priority recommendations and advocates that the City Council include three additional ideas to better support public life, community engagement and Guadalupe River Park.
SPUR Supports San Jose City Council decision to allocate Measure T funds to preserve Coyote Valley
Advocacy Letter
On November 6, 2019 the San Jose City Council held a special session to approve the sale of private land in Coyote Valley using Measure T funds. The approval to sell this land allows for North Coyote Valley to be permanently designated for open space and agricultural use. SPUR supports this decision as Coyote Valley serves as a critical natural resource in the South Bay.
SPUR's Urban Village Comments to the General Plan Task Force
Advocacy Letter
Staff’s memo regarding the proposed modifications to the Urban Village general plan policy. SPUR has been a continuous supporter of the San Jose’s Urban Village plan as a way to create more mixed-use, higher density development throughout San Jose.
SPUR provides comments on the City of San Jose proposed extension of the downtown high-rise incentive program
Advocacy Letter
SPUR supports staff recommendation to extend the downtown high-rise incentive program until 2023. While we believe that downtown must have a large concentration of jobs to support transit, it is also important to maximize the potential of high-rise residential development downtown. This program helps ease the financial burden due to the cost of construction and land to help spur greater development in the urban core.