We’ve come a long way since the initial “Resilient by Design: Bay Area Challenge", which concluded in 2018.
What started off as a local and regional call to action for solutions to climate change in the Bay Area has transitioned into more focused planning efforts to move good ideas along a trajectory towards implementation. BARC is currently involved in advancing four of the projects and is keeping close tabs on the other five projects, providing updates and strategically supporting where helpful.
What is clear is that Resilient by Design helped establish a strong network of champions in the Bay Area and beyond focused on preparing for increased flooding, sea level rise and other hazards. This network is both national and international in scope, connected to global partners working on resilience projects that can inform best practices throughout the world.
Progress Updates
For progress updates on the projects that emerged from Resilient by Design, please visit the project pages:
- The Grand Bayway
- Colma Creek Connector
- South Bay - Dumbarton Bridge West Approach & Adjacent Communities
- East Oakland And Alameda
- City of San Rafael
- Alameda Creek
- North Richmond - Horizontal Levee & Shoreline Public Access
- San Francisco - Islais Creek
- The People's Plan
Who’s Involved
The Resilient by Design challenge brought together local leaders, community residents and youth, and international recognized experts in design, ecology, engineering and architecture to develop community-based solutions in nine diverse project areas around the Bay Area.
The project also brought together public sector funders, finance experts and philanthropic investors to come together to share specific advice and guidance on how the innovative, multi-benefit, interdisciplinary projects can be funded from concept phase to construction.
Check out the map of the sites here on the Resilient Bay Area website.
Project Background
At its core, Resilient by Design is about taking the threat of climate change and turning it into an opportunity to strengthen our communities by improving the local ecology and natural systems and by creating safer and more adaptive homes, buildings and infrastructure.
Design teams spent months developing new solutions to tackling sea level rise and climate resiliency, working in partnership with community based organizations, students, local experts and more to harness our region’s creativity and chart a new path forward.
Read our executive director’s update in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Developing Solutions with Multiple Benefits
The design teams were matched with sites that represent a range of the issues, terrain, and types of communities that face flood risk and other vulnerabilities.
The blueprints developed in each of these communities contain both unique, community-driven solutions, but also approaches that can be adopted and adapted throughout the region and world — presenting an opportunity for our region to work together to solve this complex problem. The complex and diverse communities around the Bay are an asset — harnessing our innovative spirit to build a better future.
A Generous Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation
The Resilient by Design|Bay Area Challenge was funded through a generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Building off of their investments in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco through the 100 Resilient Cities Initiative, Rockefeller was enticed by the Bay Area’s overwhelming passage of Measure AA – a region-wide parcel tax aimed at funding shoreline projects that will protect and restore the Bay - a sign that Bay Area residents are ready to make the investments necessary to adapt to an uncertain future.
Local Public, Private and Philanthropic Funding Partners
Other critical funding and support has come from BARC, the City of San Francisco, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Santa Clara County Water Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Marin Community Foundation, the San Francisco Community Foundation, the Seed Fund, Autodesk, Facebook and PG&E.