San Pablo Bay
Santa Venetia Resiliency Strategy
San Pablo Bay Area is facing major pressures due to sea level rise, continuous diking and expensive levee maintenance. As a result, large portions of marsh land, and the ecological processes that keep them alive, have disappeared from their watersheds. BREATHING SAN PABLO BAY is a research project concerned with investigating different tidal marshlands restoration techniques. Over 500 hectares of land could be restored along Novato, Gallinas, and Miller Creeks, this could enhance tributary streams for fish and amphibians. Having a healthy tidal marsh ecosystem is important not only for the coastal communities abutting the San Pablo Bay, but most importantly, tidal marsh restoration is an essential strategy to enhance flood protection. Overall, this project will focus on establishing two strategies for transforming the community of Santa Venitia: wild habitat restoration and urban resilience.
Habitat Restoration:
Restoring large segments of insufficiently used land into tidal marshes or seasonal/riparian wetlands to create a mosaic of habitat types, including a large transition zone and a mix of fluvial–tidal habitats.
​
Urban Resilience:
Low-density detached homes currently existing in the area will be redeveloped using Low-Impact-Development strategies. By densifying Santa Venetia we are able to increase open space and permeability. New townhouses and mid-rises will be clustered around ponds, reservoirs and large sunken surfaces that will gather rainwater that will slowly drain underground.
Type
Urban Design
Resiliency
Location
Santa Venitia, San Pablo Bay, CA
Year
2018
