Gabriel Metcalf is the new CEO for the Committee for Sydney.
Metcalf was formerly president and CEO of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). He is a leading urban thinker, who led SPUR between 2005-2018, with responsibility for defining the overall vision and strategy for the organisation and leading it through a major expansion.
Under his leadership, SPUR developed into a high-profile international policy institute of over 40 staff, leading the policy reform agendas in the fields of transport, housing, economic development, regional planning and fiscal management.
During his tenure at SPUR, the organisation led efforts to establish the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the city’s first multi-modal transportation agency.
SPUR also initiated and led the Better Neighbourhoods Planning process as part of a broad package of land use changes to the city, as well as reform of the San Francisco budget process to include multi-year budget planning and the creation of a Housing Trust Fund.
According to Metcalf, “This is going to be a big year for the Committee, and a big year for Sydney, starting with the State and Federal elections. The Committee for Sydney is uniquely positioned to be a positive force to help Sydney move into the future – serving as a source of ideas and inspiration, learning from other cities around the world, and advocating for the policies that will truly have an impact on the problems and the opportunities faced by this amazing city.”
