SAN FRANCISCO KICKS OFF PLANNING FOR RESILIENCY CHALLENGE

The San Francisco Bay Area is gearing up for a competition based on Rebuild by Design’s Hurricane Sandy successful model.  Rebuild by Design has been working closely with the San Francisco Department of City Planning and other stakeholders throughout the 9 counties of the Bay area to scope a process focused on storm surges and rising sea level in the San Francisco Bay.

On April 18, leaders from the region gathered at the San Francisco Foundation offices to discuss the Bay Area: Resilient by Design Challenge. Leaders included Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Richmond Mayor Tom Butt and Assemblyman Tom Thurmond, and 100 Resilient Cities Executive Director Michael Berkowitz as well as many key agencies and foundations. Together, they are embarking on a visionary and interdisciplinary opportunity to make the region resilient to sea level rise, storm surge, urban flooding and seismic events. This design competition is a collaboration of public and private organizations and individuals working together to find implementable solutions and leave a lasting legacy of environmental sustainability and resilient communities for future generations.

Dubbed a challenge that considers “an overabundance of water in a time of drought”, initial scoping for a design competition has been provided by the City of San Francisco.  Key to the support of this effort are the Chief Resilience Officers of San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley.

Over the past year, local and regional leaders have met to discuss how this “Challenge” can meet today’s critical crises of inequity in the region, as well as plan for a more resilient future.

Fundraising is underway and it is hoped that the Challenge will launch within the coming year.

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