For over 20 years, few people have understood or influenced the Bay Area like Gabriel Metcalf, president of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research. Metcalf recently announced a move to Sydney, Australia, and reflected the past two decades.
"It’s been such a fascinating time to work in the Bay Area. One thing that happened is the economy of the Bay Area became stronger and stronger and increasingly the different parts of the Bay Area have merged into a single economy, powered mainly by what we call “tech,” but not exclusively. People used to worry whether San Francisco had an economic future, as long-time headquarters firms kept moving out, and 20 years ago Silicon Valley was really in a different geography than San Francisco. Things are different now."
"The Bay Area is very civically connected. In spite of some big policy disagreements, generally people are willing to engage with each other in a respectful way. That is a very good base to build on. The Bay Area needs to do a better job overcoming the jurisdictional fragmentation. It’s not just that 101 city governments competing for tax base. It’s also the 27 transit operators and the 149 school districts. If the civic connectedness is going to translate into real-world problem solving, we need to strengthen, we probably need to actually strengthen regional governance so that we can take on some of our problems in a more coordinated way."
FULL STORY: SPUR Head Metcalf Bids Farewell to Transformed, Challenged Bay Area
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San Francisco voters will decide on Proposition C, a business tax based on gross receipts levied on large employers, the most contentious of five local measures.
YIMBYs Attacked from the (Far) Left
Pro-housing activists in San Francisco are blamed for displacement of vulnerable communities because they support luxury housing developments. A report from the independent progressive website, Truthout, ties YIMBYs to the "alt-right."
Bay Area Election Roundup: Wetlands, Housing, Ballot-Box Planning, Sales Tax
A regional measure to tax all property owners in the 9-county Bay Area to adapt to sea level rise passes; S.F. voters support raising the affordable housing bar; Richmond voters reject ballot-box planning; San José approves sales tax increase.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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