Design as Play: Sea-Level Rise Planning Board Game

The waterfront along the San Francisco Bay is facing a growing threat from sea-level rise. Over the years, the Bay Area has seen a large portion of the historic wetlands filled or leveled off for residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. According to current sea level rise projections, water will once again reclaim the bay lands that have been filled. The issues presented by sea level rise along the urban edge of the San Francisco Bay involve a complex series of challenges including: regional versus local governance, built versus natural environment, vulnerable local and regional infrastructure, diverging interests with diverse stakeholders, and population growth. With each possible future scenario come multiple outcomes with winners and losers. How can the best policy and design be selected and tested? How will distinct communities learn about different options and strategies for adaptation and be empowered to act? By creating and playing a sea level rise adaptation “game,” student were able to explore these different scenarios and inform future urban planning and design decisions.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.Intl.2018.39

Volume Editors
Ángela García de Paredes, Iñaqui Carnicero & Julio Salcedo-Fernandez

ISBN
978-1-944214-18-0