Governance
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 Report
Designed to Serve
San Francisco’s governance structure has evolved to distribute authority and maximize oversight. As a result, policies don’t always meet the needs of the people they intend to serve. SPUR outlines how San Francisco can choose to design a better system.
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 Report
Making Government Work
Many of the challenges Oakland faces are worsened by its unusual government structure, which makes it harder for the mayor and other officials to do their jobs well. SPUR explores how the city can adapt its governance structure to better serve Oaklanders.
Updates and Events
November 2007 Voter Guide
Voter Guide
Includes SPUR's analysis of 11 city measures on the November 6, 2007 ballot.
Planning the City's Future
SPUR Report
Changing government is never easy. But when it comes to the two departments responsible for planning our city, can we afford not to?
SPUR Endorses the Public/Private Delivery of Wi-Fi in San Francisco
SPUR Report
In 2004, Mayor Gavin Newsom created TechConnect, an initiative to explore how to deliver free wireless Internet throughout San Francisco. After a lengthy public process, the city selected a team of EarthLink and Google. Given the potential benefits of the proposed system, SPUR requests the Board of Supervisors and Public Utilities Commission to adopt the proposed agreement with EarthLink and Google.
November 2006 Voter Guide
Voter Guide
Includes SPUR's analysis of 6 states and 11 city measures on the November 7, 2006 ballot.
Don’t Blame Me, I Didn’t Vote
Urbanist Article
What can San Francisco do to improve voter participation?
Fixing San Francisco’s Contracting Process
SPUR Report
San Francisco's contracting process is inefficient and confused; amongst other things, SPUR recommends consolidating administrative processing and decentralizing implementation for departments capable of managing it.