Planning Policy Guidance for Resilient Public Infrastructure

In 2021 and the winter of 2022-2023, San Mateo County experienced atmospheric river storms which brought almost 3/4 of the year’s total precipitation, resulting in major flooding and lives lost. Flooding from storms is likely to become more intense and commonplace, particularly in the low-lying areas affected by tides from San Francisco Bay. This is largely due to sea level rise, which by itself is expected to threaten this county more than any other in California.

The Planning Policy Guidance for Resilient Public Infrastructure distills relevant information from precedent documents and synthesizes climate science and policy guidance into actionable direction for use by the County’s jurisdictions, service providers, and asset owners. Asset advisory groups, made of staff and experts in stormwater, wastewater, and roadways, across jurisdictions in San Mateo County were engaged throughout the project in support of the development of the guidance.

Pathways Climate Institute is leading the development of multiple chapters in the guidance, including the climate scenarios and hazards and general guidance for all capital projects chapters. The flood hazards chapter includes concise and de-jargonized information on coastal flood and precipitation-based hazards. The general guidance chapter lays out a step-by-step framework for planning and designing resilient public infrastructure projects. In addition, Pathways supports further guidance for climate adaptive planning and design principles and strategies, and specific infrastructure sectors (stormwater, wastewater, and roadways). The infrastructure chapters include technical expertise and specific considerations for how to plan and design projects in these sectors.