Something has been in the air here for more than a year now — and, unusually, it isn’t fog or another round of hype about the next big thing in tech. It’s something far less fleeting: clarity.
After years of becoming a national shorthand for urban dysfunction, the city is quietly charting a new course. This shift is not being driven by ideological upheaval but by a series of pragmatic changes — moves that, taken together, amount to a recalibration of what it means to govern a modern, progressive city.
City leaders have bolstered law enforcement resources, passed tax cuts for both small and large businesses, and ended the public distribution of drug paraphernalia. Supporters say these are not signs of abandoning progressive ideals, but of grounding them in real-world priorities like public safety, economic vitality, and livability.
“We’re not turning away from our values,” said one city official involved in the recent reforms. “We’re making sure those values actually work in practice.”
Story Highlights
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Law Enforcement: Proposition E, passed in March 2024, gives police expanded investigative powers, including the use of drones, with a goal of fully staffing the department.
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Crime Trends: Homicides reached a 60-year low in 2024; auto burglaries fell to a 22-year low.
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Business Climate: Proposition M, passed in November 2023, offers tax relief to small businesses, the hospitality sector, and major employers.
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Economic Context: Between 2018 and 2024, the Bay Area lost 156 corporate headquarters, while Dallas gained 100.
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Drug Policy: Mayor Daniel Lurie ended the city’s program distributing free drug paraphernalia in public spaces.
The shift follows a decade in which some of San Francisco’s policies — adopted in the name of compassion — proved difficult to sustain. In hindsight, many residents say those years helped pave the way for problems now familiar in other progressive cities, including Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle.
In some cases, the most visible advocates for change were not the most effective problem-solvers. The consequences, critics argue, included the spread of public drug use, worsening mental health crises, and an erosion of public trust.
“The loudest voices weren’t always the wisest,” said a longtime civic leader. “We mistook activity for progress.”
Economic indicators reinforced the urgency for change. According to the San Francisco Business Times, between 2018 and 2024 the Dallas–Fort Worth area gained 100 corporate headquarters, while the San Francisco Bay Area lost 156. Combined with a five-year population decline — accelerated by the early pandemic years — the city faced an $800 million budget deficit in its most recent budget cycle.
To counter that trend, voters in November 2023 approved Proposition M, a tax relief measure aimed at helping small businesses, the hospitality industry, and larger employers stay competitive in the city.
“Businesses provide the jobs and tax revenue that make our social programs possible,” said a representative from the city’s chamber of commerce. “If they can’t survive here, neither can our budget.”
The new approach has also focused heavily on public safety. Proposition E, approved in March 2024, gives police expanded tools to investigate crimes, including drone technology. Officials say the city is now working to fully staff the police department after years of shortages.
These steps appear to be showing results. Homicides hit a 60-year low in 2024, while auto burglaries dropped so sharply — to a 22-year low — that local glass repair shops have reported a significant loss of business.
Another high-profile change came from Mayor Daniel Lurie, who ended the practice of distributing free drug paraphernalia in public spaces. For years, the program was defended as part of a “harm reduction” strategy, but critics said it amounted to enabling addiction without accountability.
“We can’t keep pretending this is compassion,” Mayor Lurie said when announcing the change. “It’s cruel — to the unhoused, to families, to workers, to visitors. Harm reduction without accountability often results in only harm.”
Taken together, these steps suggest San Francisco is pursuing a post-performative form of governance — one that blends progressive values with pragmatic execution.
“We’re proving that you can still be a Democratic city and take public safety seriously,” one city supervisor said. “This isn’t about moving right or left. It’s about moving forward.”
Whether other West Coast cities will follow suit remains to be seen, but San Francisco’s leaders believe the city’s recalibration could offer a new template — one rooted in lessons learned the hard way.
San Francisco’s recent steps may not satisfy every political faction, but they mark a noticeable shift in tone and priorities. By tightening its focus on public safety, strengthening its economic base, and rethinking policies that once defined its progressive brand, the city is betting that practical governance can restore confidence among residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Whether these measures become a long-term model or a brief course correction, they signal that San Francisco is no longer content to be a cautionary tale — it intends to be a case study in recovery.
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