The Best Equity Plan for Downtown Oakland: Grow for Everyone’s Sake
February 15, 2017Oakland’s Downtown Specific Plan process is about to restart, but with a major shift in approach. Responding to public concern over displacement, the city is developing a racial equity framework for the plan. If Oakland is bold enough in its ambitions, the downtown plan can be opportunity to demonstrate that equity will come from supporting economic growth — not from stifling it.
Charging Ahead: How the Bay Area Is Leading the Country on Electric Vehicles
February 9, 2017At SPUR we promote transit policies that help people get around without cars, but we also recognize that there will always be some amount of driving and have advocated for policies that will move us toward a future with more electric vehicles. A recent EV event hosted by the Center for Sustainable Energy gave an update on how the EV transition is progressing.
How Can the Bay Area’s Aging Oil Refineries Meet California’s New Climate Goals?
February 8, 2017California’s plan to meet its 2030 climate goals proposes reducing emissions from oil refineries by 20 percent. The Bay Area is home to five oil refineries, most of them over 100 years old. What can be done about their significant contributions to local air pollution and to climate-changing emissions?
Where to Put the Downtown San Jose BART Station: Go West
January 26, 2017In the next few months, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will make big decisions about where and how BART will come to San Jose. One of the big decisions is where the downtown San Jose station should be located. Of the two options on the table, SPUR strongly supports the west downtown option. Here's why.
What East Oakland Can Teach Us About Displacement
January 11, 2017More and more people with the means to purchase a home are turning to the few places left in the Bay Area that are still (relatively) affordable. This includes East Oakland, which experienced the Bay Area's most explosive growth in home prices, resulting in our current phenomenon of displacement without development.