Connect and Collect

The HASSELL+ team understands water.

The team understands designing for water, living with water and the immense social potential that waterfront places offer communities when they are connected to them. HASSELL, originating from Australia, as well as Deltares + Goudappel, originating from the Netherlands, are drawn to RbD through an acute understanding of the social, cultural, economic and ecological potential that research-led design can unlock for waterfront communities.

The team worked in partnership with local experts: Lotus Water, Civic Edge, HATCH, Brown & Caldwell, Idyllist, and Page & Turnbull. They bring to this challenge a wealth of experience in researching, listening and engaging with communities, and designing, prototyping and delivering integrated solutions.

Source: Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge

Located in San Mateo County, South San Francisco is the bay’s self-proclaimed ‘industrial city’.

Major freeways and rail lines link the city to the region but also divide the City and limit residents’ access to the shoreline of the Bay. Over the last half-century, local residents in South San Francisco have lost their historic connection to the water. Parts of the community suffer from flooding and have limited access to a shoreline blocked by industry. And, like the entire Bay Area, San Mateo County is at risk from sea level rise and seismic events.

This makes San Mateo County the perfect testing grounds for solutions that could unlock potential for shoreline communities around the entire Bay Area.

Source: Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge

Resilient South City is a community-based design challenge aimed at strengthening the city’s resilience to sea level rise and climate change.

The primary objectives of the team’s design proposal are to:

• Manage flooding along Colma Creek by widening and greening the canal and creating a sequence of new parks;
• Connect the community along the creek to the shoreline, between a series of active public spaces including a new waterfront pool and school;
• Upgrade schools to become resilience hubs as well as active community open space resources (playgrounds become parks) while linking them to the creek & each other by new green streets for cycling and water management (more kids riding to school!); and to
• Extend the restoration of native plants from San Bruno mountain, down across the city’s other green spaces (parks, cemeteries and schools) and along the creek to the shoreline.

The key project is the parkway connection from Orange Memorial Park to the shoreline. This will involve a sequence of new green public open spaces of varying character, linked by a continuous path for walking and cycling.

Source: Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge