Over 50 Teams Clamor to Join Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge to Create Innovative Solutions to Climate Change

Resilient by Design, an exciting new approach in addressing climate change before disaster strikes, today announced it has received 51 Design Team applications from multi-disciplinary experts vying to be selected for the Bay Area Challenge. Teams comprised of over 350 local, national and global experts submitted applications detailing bold visions for a stronger, safer San Francisco Bay, underscoring their commitment to the yearlong challenge that will result in 10 innovative solutions to be revealed next May 2018. MTC is a funder and cosponsor for the effort and also is hosting the staff working on the project. 

“We are so excited by the breadth and diversity of experts eager to participate in the Bay Area Challenge, and wish to thank everyone for applying,” said Amanda Brown-Stevens, managing director of Resilient by Design. “Having seen so much creativity and innovation in the applications already, it is clear that all the prospective Design Teams went above and beyond and the Bay Area is poised to show renewed leadership for regional resilience.”

The news follows the announcement by Governor Brown to host a global climate change summit in the region next fall, highlighting that the Bay Area is at the forefront of the fight against climate change. While each design team application has at least one local team member, and all are required to involve the community in developing their solutions, the wide array of renowned design, ecological, social and resilience experts from around the world speaks to broad interest. The 51 teams reflect architects, engineers, horticulturists, artists, students, academics and more, hailing from nine different countries and 13 states. In all, 368 people applied.

Teams will be notified of their application status in early August 2017, and the sponsors are currently accepting site ideas on the project website through Friday, July 14, 2017, to help identify the Bay Area’s most vulnerable ecological systems and most vulnerable bayfront communities, as well as local infrastructure at risk from a natural disaster. Selected teams will be publicly announced at the start of the Collaborative Research Phase in September 2017, a three-month process in which teams will work with community members and local leaders to learn about challenges and vulnerabilities. The ultimate goal is the creation of 10 new implementable projects that offer an imaginative and collaborative approach to climate resilience and help to address other looming issues around housing, health, transportation and inequity.

About Resilient by Design

Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge is a collaborative research and design initiative that connects design leaders to community members, local leaders and national experts. In a yearlong challenge, 10 teams of architects, engineers, designers and other experts will work alongside community members and local governments to identify critical areas along the San Francisco Bayfront and propose exciting new solutions that will strengthen the region’s resilience to sea level rise, severe storms, flooding and earthquakes.

Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge will forge close ties with The Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities network, which seeks to help 100 cities build resilience to thrive in the 21st century. The challenge will leverage the network’s existing resources and institutional knowledge to accomplish shared goals across the Bay Area.

Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge is an operating project of the Trust for Conservation Innovation. Generous funders include The Rockefeller Foundation, The California State Coastal Conservancy, Bay Area Regional Collaborative, The Seed Fund, Santa Clara Valley Water District, City and County of San Francisco and MTC. The Executive Board is made up of leaders around the region representing: Bay Area Regional Collaborative, San Francisco Estuary Institute, Government Alliance on Race and Equity, Rebuild by Design, SPUR, State Coastal Conservancy, Bay Area Council, The San Francisco Foundation and the cities of Richmond, Oakland, San José and San Francisco.

Website: www.resilientbayarea.org

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