Mayor Daniel Lurie touts SF in 1st State of the City address: 'People are proud to live here again'

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie delivered his first State of the City address Thursday, pledging not just to bring the city back, but to "build something better."

"For the first time in five years, San Franciscans believe we are moving in the right direction. That's not spin. That's not politics. That's people feeling we're making a difference in their everyday lives," he said. "People are proud to live here again, you can feel it. There has never been a more exciting time to be a San Franciscan, and it's time to put our foot on the accelerator."

A political novice navigating the city's post-pandemic PR crisis, the mayor's first year focused heavily on public safety, improving street conditions fueled by a fentanyl epidemic and downtown economic recovery.

Poll numbers show, voters do believe San Francisco is "on the rise" - a signature Lurie phrase. His approval rating hitting 73% in July, according to a San Francisco Chronicle poll, and 71% in November.

Speaking to hundreds at Rossi Park, Lurie aimed to boast the city's improving crime statistics, which have been steadily decreasing since early 2024. Overal crime is down nearly 30%, but neighborhoods like SoMa and Mission Bay saw an increase from 2024 to 2025, according to SFPD data.

"Public safety is the foundation for San Francisco's recovery, and it will always be my north star," he said. "We are on our way back. But we still have work to do."

From 'public safety mayor' to 'affordability mayor'

But the mayor signaled a shift toward affordability as his new Polaris - a challenge felt nationwide and acutely in San Francisco. In December, median rent prices are 227% higher than the national average, according to Apartment List.

"Making this city more affordable for our families so that they can raise their kids here," he said, outlining a new plan unveiled Wednesday to expand free and subsidized childcare for middle and upper-middle-class families.

He also teased a dual-enrollment program that would allow high school students to graduate with associate degrees or industry certifications - an effort to make education more accessible and career paths clearer.

MORE: SF promising free or reduced cost child care for families; pathway for students to attend college

Lurie also announced plans to combine three city departments to streamline permitting, a bureaucratic headache that has long slowed development.

"This will mean better coordination, time and cost savings, and a more predictable permitting process, easing the way to build more housing," he said.

His plans do face headwinds - as the city is staring down a roughly $1 billion budget deficit, which could worsen based on the Trump administration's threats to cut more federal funding to blue states and cities.

The most thunderous applause from the audience came with his mention of one of the most notable moments of his first year: when President Donald Trump backed down from surging federal agents to San Francisco after conversations with tech titans and the mayor himself. Lurie, attributing that reversal to "the progress we've made."

Tellingly, Lurie chose "resilience" as the word to describe the state of San Francisco.

"We can reclaim our place as the greatest city in the world," he said. "We're just getting started, and we are not going to leave anyone behind."

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