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San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie wants to bring his city back to its glory days . And he ’s convinced technical school leaders — who often pitch utopian ideals of their own — can avail him deliver .
“ I ’m a city manager that is picking up the earpiece and calling chief executive officer , ” said Lurie during TechCrunch ’s StrictlyVC event on Thursday night . “ I ’m calling entrepreneur and saying , ‘ How can we keep you here ? ’ or ‘ How can we get you back ? ’ ”
The first step to come through these common people back , he said , is addressing the rearing drug and homelessness crisis that ’s promote many business leaders out of the urban center . Lurie has spent much of his first 100 days in office walking the city ’s most troubled neighborhoods . This workweek , he wander back a longstanding programin which San Francisco handed out free pipes , foil , and pale yellow that were used to ingest drug , such as fentanyl .
Lurie ’s “ vulgar common sense policies , ” as he anticipate them during his 2024 mayoral campaign , are for the most part being defend by technology leaders . As Ryan Petersen , the CEO of Flexport , take the air off the point at StrictlyVC while the San Francisco city manager walked on , he shout out to Lurie :
“ Thanks for clean up the city a minute . ”
Beyond the public safety opening move , Lurie emphasized the want to make it easier to “ progress ” in San Francisco — referring to construction of houses and innovation of businesses .
The city recently unveil a novel enterprise , Permit SF , which would reduce the amount of red tape measure that startup must wade through to run in San Francisco .
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On Thursday , the mayor also inclose anew zoning proposalthat would allow taller buildings — and thus , more housing — in region that traditionally have only allowed lower , single - menage homes . If hand , it could be the first rezoning of San Francisco since 1970 .
“ We want our entrepreneurs starting businesses and then appease here , ” said Lurie . “ That means streamlining let , make it easier to start a restaurant , a bar , or a startup . ”
“ What we need more of is multitude come together and being … practical . We sort of fall behind that here in San Francisco , ” said Lurie . “ I believe the business community that has stay here , that did not go forth , understands our values , and we ’re go to attract businesses back in the number years . ”
Building an AI hub
As part of that effort , Lurie allege he want to get “ competitive on the tax front , ” intimate he ’s uncoerced to give tax gaolbreak to companies in the city . The San Francisco mayor said he ’s already work with the city ’s leading AI company to build more post and hold more conferences in the city .
For instance , Lurie said he convince Databricks to hold its AI conference in San Francisco through 2030 , alternatively of moving to Las Vegas as the fellowship originally planned . Last month , the mayor also attended the ribbon cutting for a fresh OpenAI office .
While these AI companies may get tax cuts , the mayor want them to gift in San Francisco in other ways . Specifically , he want OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to “ get loud about ” their investiture in San Francisco ’s arts and civilisation aspect , which he says the companionship has already been doing softly .
But Lurie does n’t just want the tech industry ’s dollar mark — he ’s after their estimation as well . The urban center recently announced the Partnership for San Francisco , a consortium of business enterprise leaders , including The Atlantic owner and Steve Jobs ’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs , famed Apple designer Jony I ve , and Altman — to aid give business organization a vindicated communication channel to talk with metropolis hall .
Robotaxis in SF
But some San Franciscans are concern the technical school diligence is pushing out other communities . That stress recently flare out up whenWaymo try out obtaining a permission to map out the SFO aerodrome , allow for its robotaxis to take riders to and from the airport .
Waymo successfully obtained an SFO mapping Trachinotus falcatus , but it came with a strict carve - out to ensure Waymo would n’t move commercial-grade good to and from the drome . Thanks to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , delivery drivers hold great magnate in San Francisco ’s city residence .
Lurie sound out he worked out deals with proletariat unions to get Waymo ’s SFO licence done but clarified that “ Waymo is not live on anywhere . ”
The city manager said he ’s confident that autonomous vehicles are “ where the hereafter is going , ” and that he ’s verbalise with other companies about having a large presence in the city . Lurie also did n’t find out construct the city ’s base to accommodate more self-reliant vehicles .
While much of the tech industry ’s innovation has historically materialize in Silicon Valley , about 40 mile to the south of the city , the AI roar seems firmly centered in San Francisco . Lurie says that ’s given the metropolis some impulse to really bring innovation back .
“ When we ’re done , everyone ’s go to be like , ‘ I start out to be in San Francisco . Otherwise I ’m escape out . ’ That ’s where we ’re going , ” pronounce Lurie .
