San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie hopes to bring his city back to glorious times. He convinced tech leaders – their often their utopian ideals – to help him deliver.
“I’m a mayor and I’m answering the phone and calling the CEO,” Lurie said at TechCrunch during a strict event on Thursday night. “I called the entrepreneur and said, ‘How can we stay here?’ or “How can we get you back?” ”
He said the first step to winning these people is to resolve the rampant drug and homelessness crisis, which has pushed many business leaders out of the city. Lurie spent most of his first 100 days in the city’s most troubled neighborhoods. This week, He backed off a long-term program Among them, San Francisco distributes free pipelines, foils and straws for intake of drugs such as fentanyl.
Lurie called it a “common sense policy” during the 2024 mayoral campaign, and has been largely supported by technology leaders. As Flexport CEO Ryan Peterson yelled to Lurie as the San Francisco mayor walked out on the StrictlyVC stage as he continued to move forward:
“Thank you for cleaning up this city.”
In addition to the public safety program, Lurie stressed the need to make “building” easier in San Francisco – referring to the construction of houses and the creation of businesses.
The city recently announced a new plan, Allow SFwhich will reduce the number of traditional Chinese tape festivals that startups must operate in San Francisco.
On Thursday, the mayor also introduced New partitioning suggestions This will allow taller buildings and therefore more housing in communities that traditionally only allow lower single-family homes. If passed, this may be the first time San Francisco has been rezoned since 1970.
“We want entrepreneurs to start businesses and stay here,” Lurie said. “That means simplifying the allowances and making it easier to open a restaurant, bar or startup.”
“We need more people to get together and become […] Actual. “We believe that the business community that lives here, without leaving, knowing our value, we will attract businesses in the coming years,” Lurie said.
Build an AI hub
As part of this effort, Lurie said he wanted to gain “competitiveness” in taxes, which showed his willingness to provide tax breaks for companies in the city. The mayor of San Francisco said he has partnered with the city’s leading AI companies to build more offices and hold more meetings in the city.
For example, Lurie said he convinced DataTabricks to hold an AI conference in San Francisco until 2030, rather than moving to Las Vegas as the company originally planned. Last month, the mayor also participated in the ribbon cutting of the new Openai office.
While these AI companies may cut taxes, the mayor hopes they invest in San Francisco in other ways. Specifically, he hopes Openai CEO Sam Altman “speaks out loud” about their investment in the art and cultural scenes in San Francisco, which he says is already doing quietly.
But Lurie wants not only the dollar in the technology industry, but also the idea of them. The city recently announced a San Francisco partnership – a coalition of business leaders including Atlantic bosses and Steve Jobs Wade Lauren Powell Jobs, renowned Apple designers Jony Ive and Altman to help businesses talk to the Town Hall.
Robot in sf
But some San Francisco people are worried that the tech industry is driving other communities. The recent tension has erupted Waymo tries to obtain a license to map SFO airportallowing its robot to take cyclists to and from the airport.
Waymo successfully obtained an SFO mapping license, but it comes with strict vans to ensure Waymo does not transfer commercial goods to the airport. Thanks to the International Team Brotherhood, delivery drivers have a strong power in San Francisco City Hall.
Lurie said he reached a deal with the union to complete Waymo’s SFO permit, but clarified: “Waymo is not going anywhere.”
The mayor said he firmly believes that self-driving cars are “the direction of the future” and he talks with other companies about having a bigger business in the city. Lurie has not ruled out building the city’s infrastructure to accommodate more self-driving cars.
Although much of the innovation in the technology industry has historically occurred in Silicon Valley, about 40 miles south of the city, the AI boom seems to be firmly concentrated in San Francisco. There is some momentum that can really bring back the city, Lurie said.
“When we’re done, everyone will be like, ‘I have to be in San Francisco. Otherwise I missed it.’ That’s where we’re going,” Lurie said.
