Expert Night: San Francisco's Future
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The Battery community showed a lot of love for the City by the Bay at the latest event for the club’s giving program. On Wednesday evening, members of Battery Powered engaged with a panel of five experts to share their views on how to play a positive role in San Francisco’s future. The panel sparked lively debate among local activists, government officials, academics and futurists at the forefront of social progress throughout our city.
The expert panelists debated the unintended consequences of San Francisco’s current economic boom, growing job market and skyrocketing housing prices. While each expert offered differing perspectives on the policies that could make the most change in the the city, there was no denying the energy in the room when the discussion turned to social movements. Each speaker emphasized that advocacy around basic needs, such as the right to housing and viable employment, is essential to create sound policies and open opportunities for philanthropic support.
Expert panelists
ALEX STEFFEN - Planetary Futurist and Consultant - Expert Night Moderator
On the current state of the city: “We know two things: first, the current situation is not sustainable. Second, politics is the worst way to figure out solutions, but also one of the only ways to figure it out.”
GABRIEL METCALF - President and CEO of SPUR
On what San Francisco could have been: “A dying tourist town with a good opera.”
On where it’s headed: “Between 2009 and 2014, we created 70,000 jobs in San Francisco. … In the same period, we added only 8,000 housing units. … We can’t blame it on anyone but ourselves.”
COREY COOK - Associate Professor, Department of Politics, University of San Francisco
On the opportunity, and the challenge, that lies ahead: “How do we share data effectively to create systemic change? How do we find the political will to create collective impact?”
SARAH DENNIS PHILLIPS - Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development
On what it boils down to: “Housing is a human right fundamental need more basic than anything but food. … Advocacy must happen before people are in crisis.”
JAMES TRACY - Lead Community Organizer at Community Housing Partnership
On what’s possible: “Let’s not be afraid of public employment. … Let’s think about rebuilding the commons for everyone to enjoy. San Francisco can be a social justice laboratory.”
ENRICO MORETTI - Professor of Economics at University of California, Berkeley
On balancing out the city’s growth: “Creating ladders of opportunity in the workforce is...the only way to make sure that a boom reaches, and benefits, more people.”
Looking forward
We continue the conversation by looking at how affordability fuels our future prosperity. Rezoning, density, experimentation in housing solutions and economic mobility are key concepts we’ll explore together. Twenty organizations have been selected to submit project proposals, and on February 26th, we’ll hear from organization leaders about their work in this field.
We have many more experiences in store this season. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us and each other and fill the room with great conversations. Organization Night is just around the corner. In the spring, Battery Powered will host a Member Perspectives panel with guests Marc Benioff and Ron Conway, moderated by Phil Bronstein. We’ll wrap up the theme with Allocation Night.
Special thanks to all the Battery Powered experts who took the time to be with us. You can learn more about the evening’s presenters online and browse the other Battery Powered experts in this theme.
About the theme
San Francisco is changing. As the city approaches 1 million residents, we have an unprecedented opportunity to create a vibrant future for the loveable, livable City by the Bay. This winter, Battery Powered is taking a close look at the changes at our doorstep. The Issue Brief guides our learning in 3 parts: Social Movements, Housing, and Local Economy & Livelihoods. This theme runs January through March 2015.
The expert panelists debated the unintended consequences of San Francisco’s current economic boom, growing job market and skyrocketing housing prices. While each expert offered differing perspectives on the policies that could make the most change in the the city, there was no denying the energy in the room when the discussion turned to social movements. Each speaker emphasized that advocacy around basic needs, such as the right to housing and viable employment, is essential to create sound policies and open opportunities for philanthropic support.
Expert panelists
ALEX STEFFEN - Planetary Futurist and Consultant - Expert Night Moderator
On the current state of the city: “We know two things: first, the current situation is not sustainable. Second, politics is the worst way to figure out solutions, but also one of the only ways to figure it out.”
GABRIEL METCALF - President and CEO of SPUR
On what San Francisco could have been: “A dying tourist town with a good opera.”
On where it’s headed: “Between 2009 and 2014, we created 70,000 jobs in San Francisco. … In the same period, we added only 8,000 housing units. … We can’t blame it on anyone but ourselves.”
COREY COOK - Associate Professor, Department of Politics, University of San Francisco
On the opportunity, and the challenge, that lies ahead: “How do we share data effectively to create systemic change? How do we find the political will to create collective impact?”
SARAH DENNIS PHILLIPS - Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development
On what it boils down to: “Housing is a human right fundamental need more basic than anything but food. … Advocacy must happen before people are in crisis.”
JAMES TRACY - Lead Community Organizer at Community Housing Partnership
On what’s possible: “Let’s not be afraid of public employment. … Let’s think about rebuilding the commons for everyone to enjoy. San Francisco can be a social justice laboratory.”
ENRICO MORETTI - Professor of Economics at University of California, Berkeley
On balancing out the city’s growth: “Creating ladders of opportunity in the workforce is...the only way to make sure that a boom reaches, and benefits, more people.”
Looking forward
We continue the conversation by looking at how affordability fuels our future prosperity. Rezoning, density, experimentation in housing solutions and economic mobility are key concepts we’ll explore together. Twenty organizations have been selected to submit project proposals, and on February 26th, we’ll hear from organization leaders about their work in this field.
We have many more experiences in store this season. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us and each other and fill the room with great conversations. Organization Night is just around the corner. In the spring, Battery Powered will host a Member Perspectives panel with guests Marc Benioff and Ron Conway, moderated by Phil Bronstein. We’ll wrap up the theme with Allocation Night.
Special thanks to all the Battery Powered experts who took the time to be with us. You can learn more about the evening’s presenters online and browse the other Battery Powered experts in this theme.
About the theme
San Francisco is changing. As the city approaches 1 million residents, we have an unprecedented opportunity to create a vibrant future for the loveable, livable City by the Bay. This winter, Battery Powered is taking a close look at the changes at our doorstep. The Issue Brief guides our learning in 3 parts: Social Movements, Housing, and Local Economy & Livelihoods. This theme runs January through March 2015.