The document discusses how denser, more urban workplaces in the Bay Area will strengthen its economic competitiveness. It notes that knowledge sector jobs are growing the fastest and these jobs benefit from collaborative work environments. It argues that trends point toward denser work settings with declining private offices and more collaborative spaces. However, most current jobs are not near transit and accessible by transit. For the Bay Area to increase transit ridership, more jobs need to be located near transit, as proximity to transit significantly increases the share of commuters who use transit.

1. The Urban
Future of
Work:
How denser, more
urban workplaces will
strengthen the Bay
Area’s economic
competitiveness.
Egon Terplan
Regional Planning Director, SPUR
OakX
July 25, 2012

2. Job growth has significantly slowed for the Bay Area
since 1980

3. The fastest-growing portion of the regional economy is
the highly specialized knowledge services sector
Knowledge services = professional services, software, IT, finance, information.

4. While we can work anywhere, the office isn’t going away
…it is now the place for collaborative work

5. 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

6. Employment
within ½ mile
of freeway
ramps
75% of total
Most jobs
locate near
freeways
Maps produced by Mark Shorett,
Arup for SPUR

7. Employment
within ½ mile
of regional
transit
stations
Less than a
23% of regional quarter of
total jobs are
near rail
Maps produced by Mark
Shorett, Arup for SPUR

8. Employment
within ½ mile
of regional
transit
network or ¼
mile of Most
frequent jobs are
local transit not transit
accessible.
44% of regional
total
Maps produced by Mark
Shorett, Arup for SPUR

9. All Bay Area
Employment
On average, TOD
jobs are 45 per
acre and non TOD
jobs are less than
20 per acre.
Maps produced by Mark
Shorett, Arup for SPUR

10. 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

11. 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

12. The percent who drive to work varies widely by job
center – but some places not on transit have low driving

13. 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.

14. Discussion
and
questions
ABAG 1966 Regional Plan