Over the next century, the San Francisco Bay Area is poised to face three major challenges: adapting to a changing climate, adding infill development to accommodate a growing population and maintaining natural and working lands in the face of development pressure. Despite appearing to be disparate, these problems are deeply interrelated and planning across traditionally siloed sectors will be necessary to generate effective, cross-cutting solutions. This report investigates how the implementation of nature-based strategies in rural and densifying urban landscapes can maximize our communities' preparedness for future climate conditions while providing a wide variety of benefits to people and ecosystems.
Together with SPUR and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, we explored strategies for adding housing and jobs in the Bay Area without compromising and even expanding nature in cities and surrounding rural areas. This report illustrates how nature-based solutions can be integrated from downtown San José to Coyote Valley upstream to build climate resilience; quantifies associated ecosystem services; and identifies planning and policy approaches for implementation. Scenarios were developed with the help of an interdisciplinary group of local experts through two charrettes to generate holistic solutions that will contribute to a number of ongoing planning efforts.
Download the report here.
Urban nature—such as greenness and parks—can alleviate distress and provide space for safe recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, nature is often less available in low-income populations and communities of colour—the same communities hardest hit by COVID-19.
Sustainability and resilience expert Laura Feinstein to lead the SFEI Resilient Landscapes Program
The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is excited to announce Laura Feinstein as the new Director of the Resilient Landscapes Program. Laura brings many years of experience at the science-policy interface and a love for the natural and urban communities of the San Francisco Bay Area and Delta region. As Director, she will lead SFEI’s interdisciplinary Resilient Landscapes team of 30+ staff with an annual budget of over $5 million.
Erica Spotswood and a team of scientists published pioneering research in Nature Sustainability, finding that COVID-19 tracks neighborhood greenness in the US, exacerbating existing inequity.
Trees, Hydrology, Urban-Greening, and Nature-Based Solutions
Two key reports support nature-based solutions. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) and enhancements to the urban tree canopy offer benefits to stormwater management, urban ecological improvements, and complementary urban greening activities.
On KGO TV, these projects were featured on July 1, 2021.