SPUR Planning Policy Area

Planning

We believe: Growth can be good and should be directed to areas
that will support equitable development and sustainability.

Our Goals

• Leverage growth to create great neighborhoods and public spaces.

• Protect and expand open space.

• Concentrate new jobs and housing in downtowns and near major transit hubs.

• Grow up, not out.

Photo of a locally owned bakery storefront in downtown San Francisco

Policy Brief

Small and Mighty

San Francisco’s small businesses face complex regulations, rising costs, and slow economic recovery after the pandemic. SPUR identifies seven interventions to support the city's small business sector.
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Photo of high rise buildings in downtown San Francisco

SPUR Report

From Workspace to Homebase

Converting empty offices into apartments could both reanimate downtown San Francisco and provide housing for more people near transit, jobs, and culture. SPUR explores the suitability of converting office buildings to housing and tests the financial feasibility.
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illustration of a mixed-used downtown with offices, restaurants, childcare, retail, greenspace and transit

Urbanist Article

What If We Get Downtown Right?

SPUR asked community leaders: “What would it look like if cities were to get downtown right?” We invited them to picture a future in which today’s ideas and policy proposals for downtown revitalization are put into place ... and they work.
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photo of a pedestrian bridge and tree cover over the Guadalupe River

Virtual Exhibition

Re-Envisioning the Guadalupe River Park

The Guadalupe River Park is downtown San José’s most important urban green space, but it faces serious challenges. SPUR's virtual exhibition celebrates the promise of the river park and brings together three years of research and conversation about its future.
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Updates and Events

The Long Road Home

Urbanist Article
Now that the first Better Neighborhoods Plan has been formally adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the time has come for us to ask what we can learn from this seemingly epic process.

An Eye on the Street

Urbanist Article
A comparison of San Francisco's typical street pattern to classic "rowhouse" residential streets reveals the complex interplay of buildings and streets, and its impact on the public realm.

The Northern California Megaregion

Urbanist Article
The Northern California megaregion, home to 14 million people, is expected to add at least 10 million people by 2050. How we plan for and accommodate that growth is the defining question for urban planning in Northern California today.

Envisioning Warmwater Cove

SPUR Report
Nestled on the Central Waterfront between China Basin and Candlestick Point, Warmwater Cove lies in disrepair. How can we populate and enliven this forgotten nook of the southeastern waterfront?

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?

A New Transit-First Neighborhood

SPUR Report
Caltrain's surface rail yards represent enormous opportunities for San Francisco. In this report, SPUR proposes a plan to knit together Mission Bay with neighborhoods to the north and west.
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