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
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.