Resilient Silicon Valley is a project of the San Francisco Estuary Institute to build the science-based framework needed to guide the design of and investments in regional ecosystem health. Drawing on resilience science, regional data, and local expertise, we  are developing the vision and tools that will allow stakeholders in the region to ensure that local actions contribute toward the creation of a high-functioning and resilient Silicon Valley ecosystem. The Resilient Silicon Valley project harnesses SFEI’s extensive regional expertise, data, and partnerships needed to guide investments in regional ecosystem health.

In collaboration with Google’s new Ecology Program, SFEI has created the Landscape Resilience Framework; a practical guide that identifies the core elements needed for building ecological resilience across landscapes. Building on this foundation, two projects are applying the framework in the region. In A Vision for a Resilient Silicon Valley, SFEI and a team of regional science advisors develop a vision for landscape resilience across streams, hills, baylands, and urban areas of Silicon Valley. In Re-Oaking Silicon Valley, we explore how re-incorporating elements of oak woodland ecosystems into cities could enhance biodiversity, benefit people, and contribute to regional resilience. The visions developed through these projects will provide a strategic basis to inform local design and planning efforts and allocate resources that support a holistic vision of healthy ecosystems. We hope these projects will ultimately provide shared guidance across Silicon Valley for those looking to contribute to regional resilience.

Dates: 
2015
Programs and Focus Areas: 
Design and Communications
Geographic Information Systems
Resilient Landscapes Program
Historical Ecology
Urban Nature Lab
Location Information