Projects
Oakland
Planning for a safer, stronger shoreline
Oakland's waterfront is an important place for jobs, nature, and community. But flooding caused by rising sea levels, bigger storms, and groundwater rise may put our shoreline at risk. To meet this challenge, the Port of Oakland and the City of Oakland are each leading a planning effort — the Port's Waterfront Resilience Plan and the City's Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SSAP) — and working together, alongside the Oakland Alameda Adaptation Committee (OAAC) and regional partners, to build one coordinated approach to shoreline resilience. Together, this work helps protect people, homes, jobs, and the places that make Oakland unique.
What We’re Planning For
Climate change is already affecting the Bay Area. Both efforts look at how three related flooding issues will impact Oakland:
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Sea level rise: higher tides and increased flooding along the shoreline.
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Stormwater: bigger rainstorms that can cause inland flooding.
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Groundwater rise: water rising from below the ground, which can flood streets, homes, and infrastructure.
Two Efforts, One Shoreline
Oakland's resilience planning is happening on two connected tracks that share the same goal: a safe, accessible, and resilient shoreline for generations to come.
The Port of Oakland's Waterfront Resilience Plan focuses on the Port's waterfront and surrounding communities and works with community partners to understand flood risk and plan solutions
The City of Oakland's Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SSAP) takes a citywide view, following the Bay Conservation and Development Commission's (BCDC) Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) guidelines — a science-based framework for regional sea level rise planning across the Bay Area.
The two efforts are designed to reinforce each other. Oakland is developing the SSAP alongside the OAAC, the San Francisco Estuary Program (SFEP), and the Port's Waterfront Resilience Plan, so that sea level rise adaptation planning stays aligned across the shared estuary and shoreline. Findings, community input, and priorities from one effort inform the other, so Oakland ends up with a single, unified roadmap rather than two disconnected plans.
Port of Oakland:
Waterfront Resilience Plan
The Port of Oakland is working with community partners to understand flooding risks and plan solutions along the Port's waterfront. This project will:
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Identify areas most at risk from flooding.
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Explore solutions like shoreline protection, nature-based strategies, and infrastructure improvements.
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Prioritize actions to protect communities, businesses, and ecosystems.
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Identify funding opportunities to make these solutions a reality.
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Technical work is being led by AECOM and a team of experts.
City of Oakland:
Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SSAP)
Oakland is developing the SSAP to prepare for the impacts of rising sea levels, which are expected to significantly affect the city's shoreline communities.
The plan will help Oakland adapt to flood risk by identifying ways to improve shoreline resilience — through changes to how coastal land is used, policy updates, or infrastructure projects. Community input will shape a set of priority adaptation projects, and the plan will provide a roadmap for putting those projects into action.
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The City is developing the SSAP in two phases, following BCDC's RSAP guidelines:
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Phase 1 (Summer 2026 – early 2027): work with the cities of Alameda, Emeryville, Albany, and Berkeley to understand current conditions, future risks, and community priorities related to sea level rise.
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Phase 2: use Phase 1 findings to develop and prioritize adaptation strategies for Oakland, in coordination with regional partners.
Community Voices Matter
This work is rooted in collaboration. Greenbelt Alliance leads community engagement for the OAAC and the Port's Waterfront Resilience Plan, alongside partners Hood Planning Group, Civic Edge Consulting, and Ninth Root. Together, this team works directly with Oakland's shoreline residents and other interested groups to ensure adaptation planning reflects the priorities and needs of those most affected by climate change.
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We are working with residents, community organizations, and local leaders to share information about climate risks, listen to community priorities and concerns, and co-create solutions that reflect local needs - input that feeds into both the Port's and the City's planning efforts.
Why This Matters
This project will help:
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Protect homes, jobs, and essential infrastructure
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Reduce flooding risks in vulnerable neighborhoods
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Support a more equitable and climate-ready Oakland
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Align the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland, and regional partners around a shared roadmap — and prepare them to secure funding for future projects
Coming Soon!
