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
An Open Letter to the Left
Urbanist Article
Gabriel Metcalf argues that the liberal elected need to stop vilifying business, and instead foster a healthy economic environment in San Francisco to realistically accomplish their social improvements.
Only in San Francisco?
Urbanist Article
Analyzing various surveys, San Francisco historian Rich DeLeon proves that San Francisco justly earns its reputation as the most liberal city in the US.
Timing Is Everything
Urbanist Article
Paul Lewis explains why lower turnout, "local only" elections result in wins for liberal candidates, and questions then, if there is a better solution to December date run-offs.
November 2002 Voter Guide
Voter Guide
Includes SPUR's analysis of 14 city measures on the November 4, 2003 ballot.
March 2002 Voter Guide
Voter Guide
Includes SPUR's analysis of seven city measures on the March 5, 2002 ballot.
San Francisco’s Utilities in the 21st Century
Urbanist Article
supply structure Generally speaking, wholesale power markets are comprised of large central station generating plants, usually remote from population centers, together with high voltage transmission lines needed to get power from those plants closer to where it is used. The retail portion of electric supply includes parts of the system closer to end-users, that are needed to transform the power into usable voltages, distribute it…