2014: The Year in Urbanism

Housing Affordability: A Report Card

A review of progress, and the work still to be done, to make San Francisco more affordable

Housing affordability is the No. 1 problem in San Francisco and, increasingly, in the other cities of the region. SPUR's approach proceeds from two primary ideas: try many different solutions, and think at the regional scale while acting at the local scale. We take a look at progress made so far — and the work still left to do.

Momentum for Local Minimum Wage

Bay Area cities embrace a higher local minimum wage

An overwhelming majority of voters in San Francisco and Oakland voted to raise the local minimum wage in November. Meanwhile San Jose and a number of other Bay Area cities have already increased their minimum wage or are planning to establish one. Public opinion has shifted, and higher minimum wages have become a win-win mainstream issue. A regional minimum wage could be next.

Another Year With No Rain

The worst drought in over 30 years forces California to reckon with its anachronistic water management system

2014 began as the driest year ever recorded in California. It is likely to close out as the fourth driest year in more than a thousand years — even with our recent storms. The worst drought in more than 30 years is forcing the state to reckon with its anachronistic water management system, and to find solutions for this century’s changing climate and growing population.

San Francisco’s Economic Recovery: 2010-2013

San Francisco reached a historic peak in employment this year, surpassing the dot-com boom

In 2013, San Francisco reached a historic peak in employment, and from what we know so far, 2014 will reach even higher. In fact, San Francisco has never seen a more rapid three-year period of expansion in jobs than the period between 2010 and 2013, when the city added more than 70,000 jobs.

Diri-DONE

After a five-year planning process, San Jose adopts an area plan for Diridon Station

After a five-year process, San Jose adopted an area plan for Diridon Station — already a major transit hub for the South Bay. With plans for high-speed rail and BART Silicon Valley in the works, the Diridon Station area is set to become one of the state’s most important connection points. The plan's vision for dense mixed-use growth could become a model for transit-oriented development.