The Urban

Future of

Work:

How denser, more

urban workplaces will

strengthen the Bay

Area’s economic

competitiveness.

Egon TerplanRegional Planning Director, SPUROakXJuly 25, 2012

Job growth has significantly slowed for the Bay Area

since 1980

The fastest-growing portion of the regional economy is

the highly specialized knowledge services sector

Knowledge services = professional services, software, IT, finance, information.

While we can work anywhere, the office isn’t going away

…it is now the place for collaborative work

These trends point towards denser work settings… (and the

need to collaborate should benefit transit accessible places)

• Declining square feet per

worker

• Collaborative space replaces

private office

• “Free address” workplaces

• Mobile workers = many

unoccupied desks = shifting to

more FTEs per office

Maps produced by Mark Shorett, Arup for SPUR

Employment

within ½ mile

of freeway

ramps

75% of totalMost jobslocate nearfreeways

Maps produced by Mark Shorett, Arup for SPUR

23% of regional

total

Employment

within ½ mile

of regional

transit

stations

Less than a quarter ofjobs arenear rail

Employment

within ½ mile

of regional

transit

network or ¼

mile of

frequent

local transit

44% of regional

total

Maps produced by Mark Shorett, Arup for SPUR

Mostjobs arenot transitaccessible.

All Bay Area

Employment

Maps produced by Mark Shorett, Arup for SPUR

On average, TOD jobs are 45 per acre and non TOD jobs are less than 20 per acre.

But the

blessing of the

Bay Area

geography –

Although only

28% of office

space is near

transit, most

office space is

at most a few

miles from a

rail station

Working and living near transit is the key to increase

transit ridership

…but working near transit is more important

Proximity to Rail and Ferry Transit Transit commute mode share

Residence and Workplace within ½ mile 42%

Workplace Alone within ½ mile 28%

Residence Alone within ½ mile 16%

Residence and Workplace beyond ½ mile 4%

Source: San Francisco Bay Area MTC 2006

The percent who drive to work varies widely by job

center – but some places not on transit have low driving

Google: 42% of employees use alternative modes

(mostly shuttles). 90% from SF take the shuttle

Google’s bigger commute challenge is getting those who live just a few miles from campus to carpool or take the shuttle.

Discussion

and

questions

ABAG 1966 Regional Plan