Community planning work does not often make it into the news and yet, particularly in a time of rapid change, it is a key component of housing preservation and anti-displacement efforts. What is community planning and how are San Francisco’s community development non-profits influencing the rules that create place through community planning? Co-presented by Council
South of Lake Merritt the city grid gives way to big institutions like the Oakland Museum of California, Laney College and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. All are poorly connected to the lake, as well as one another, but a new initiative is exploring ways to tie these spaces together through art, design and
Why has San Jose faced major fiscal challenges and what can be done about them going forward? How can the city capture more investment to grow its tax base and what revenues should it pursue? Join us for a release of a new report that tackles these key issues. + Bob Brownstein / Working Partnerships
Silicon Valley is the global center of innovation. How can we leverage this incredible culture of innovation and apply it to solving the housing crisis? Come hear compelling panel discussions from leaders across sectors about the challenges and collaborative opportunities ahead. Supported by the Knight Foundation and in partnership with the City of San Jose,
The State Office of Planning and Research is inches away from releasing their second (and likely final) draft of new guidelines that eliminate LOS from CEQA analysis and replace it with a new calculation of Per Capita Vehicle Miles Traveled. The resulting impact from this change will be massive, requiring action by every city in California. San
Several of the country’s leading energy analysts and environmental organizations have formulated plans for transitioning to 100% renewable energy. The fascinating new book, Our Renewable Future, gathers and assesses the viability of those plans. Join the book's authors, leading scientists and thinkers in their own right, to explore the future of clean energy and how a
Main streets in towns across the country are being revitalized as residents begin to realize the importance of a downtown. But reversing a declining downtown or a crumbling commercial corridor is a more complicated problem than additional funding alone can fix. How do you build community, activate empty storefronts and make main streets better places
Zero Net Energy is hotter than a solar panel on a summer’s day. Homeowners have been putting photovoltaics on their rooftops for decades, but now that costs have dropped, schools are getting into the game. Find out how the San Francisco Unified School District plans to use solar power and other means to reduce its
Can You Dig This? follows the inspirational journeys of four unlikely gardeners in South Los Angeles who discover what happens when they put their hands in the soil. This is not a story of science and economics, but a story of the human spirit, inspiring people everywhere to pick up their shovels and “plant some
When we think about the workplace of the future, are we thinking about the right things? What if we expanded our imaginings to include things like artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing or even the influence of Star Wars? Join us for thinking well beyond the cubicle. + Allison Arieff / SPUR + Nicholas de
As the Bay Area runs up against physical and political limitations on its ability to accommodate new growth, the Northern California Megaregion has become a critical geography for coordinated economic, transportation, and human capital development and planning. Learn about a new study that examines the connectedness of this megaregion, highlighted by the over 140,000 commuters
Are buses in the East Bay on the verge of getting much better? Thanks to a successful new sales tax (Measure BB), AC Transit has boosted bus service and is planning brand-new rapid bus corridors. Come hear about what the next generation of AC Transit will look like and what it’s going to take to
