Holistic Design of Resilient and Adaptive Waterfronts and Application in San Francisco

In the face of climate change, adaptation to sea-level rise, global warming, increasing CO₂ levels, changes in precipitation, and extreme weather events is a growing need. However, as the complex science of resilience continues to progress, systems need to be resilient to a broader range of interconnected and interdependent threats and hazards. Leveraging the link between resilience and sustainability can help define and manage more holistically a wide array of impacts. This paper describes a whole system approach to resilience and how this approach was used by the Port of San Francisco that challenges practitioners to move beyond discipline silos to foster more comprehensive solutions. It also describes the finding of their multi-hazard risk assessment (MHRA) to assess all flood and seismic hazards and consequences, and the development of an adaptation plan for a resilient waterfront.