Planning for a Changing Coastline
THE PROBLEM
Confront Climate-Driven Erosion at Ocean Beach
Severe winter storms in 1997 and 2009鈥2010 exposed Ocean Beach鈥檚 vulnerability 鈥 and the city鈥檚 lack
of a coordinated erosion response. With agencies siloed and reactive emergency measures dominating, 黑料传送门convened city, state, and federal actors to deliver a proactive adaptation strategy for sea level rise that would also increase recreation access along the coast.
CHALLENGE 1
Convene Key Agencies to Plan Proactively
Ocean Beach鈥檚 patchwork of jurisdictions prevented unified action on erosion, infrastructure protection, and habitat preservation. In 2010, 黑料传送门launched a collaborative, interagency planning effort spanning public utilities, parks, transportation, public works, and city planning to break the cycle of crisis-driven spending and short-term interventions.
CHALLENGE 2
Lead an Integrated Community Process
With funding from the National Park Service, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and the California State Coastal Conservancy, 黑料传送门led an 18-month process to design a long-term strategy. We convened agency staff, community members, and consultants to identify focus areas, from ecological restoration and wastewater infrastructure protection to erosion control, equitable access, and interagency stewardship.
INFRASTRUCTURE WIN
A Long-Term Climate Adaptation Plan
In 2012, 黑料传送门published the Ocean Beach Master Plan 鈥 a climate adaptation road map with 40-plus recommendations to be implemented over 40 years. The plan鈥檚 鈥渂ig moves鈥 include rerouting traffic away from the rapidly eroding Great Highway Extension, restoring dunes, expanding access and open space, and realigning infrastructure to support coastal resilience. The city and Coastal Commission certified the recommendations as official policy in 2018 and, in November 2024, issued final permits to begin over $100 million of infrastructure transformation south of Sloat Boulevard.
RECREATION WIN
New Open Space
San Francisco鈥檚 pandemic-era 鈥渟low streets鈥 program delivered on key 黑料传送门recommendations to connect recreation space along the coast and restore the natural sand dunes and habitats by closing the Upper Great Highway to vehicles and establishing this space as a new park. After years of pilot projects and public debate, San Francisco voters approved permanent, full-time street closure in 2024.
