The Upper Islais Creek Watershed Planning project is an urban design proposal to remake a flood-prone edge of the city of San Francisco into a resilient urban corridor that can manage the combined 100-year stormwater event through nature-based and gray infrastructure. This transformation would reconnect an underserved and vulnerable community to the city with new slow streets, pedestrian safety, bike and trail networks and green spaces. The project evaluated multiple climate change possibilities to develop a green infrastructure system designed to hold up in the worst-case scenario. The design reimagines the corridor with a new set of green and gray infrastructural components to address frequent flooding, extreme daily noise, air pollution, and safety hazards.

Collaboration with different San Francisco agencies across multiple jurisdictions led to an accepted vision that transforms the public access and livability of this neighborhood by removing freeway ramps, reconfiguring major civil infrastructure, and reducing neighborhood street traffic volume. When complete, the system will filter air, sequester carbon, promote continuous and safe bicycle and pedestrian movement, reestablish urban ecology, increase the housing stock, and offer new recreational and economic opportunities in the area.