Transforming Urban Water Initiative
From Gray to Green Shorelines
East Bay Crescent Shoreline Planning and Adaptation
The Emeryville Crescent and surrounding communities is a highly dynamic area of the SF Bay shoreline. Thousands of commuters drive past is daily while it is home to sensitive species and a special place for recreation, arts and community life. The broader East Bay Crescent includes the shoreline communities of Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany and Oakland.
Community partners are developing a Community and Tribal Visioning Plan for the Emeryville Crescent, emphasizing diverse community perspectives to articulate a shared vision for the future of this unique region. This effort is being organized by a collaboration between the City of Emeryville, San Francisco Estuary Partnership, and in close coordination with the East Bay Regional Parks District, Caltrans, and Port of Oakland. Our approach integrates participatory research, community collaboration, and strategic partnerships to reflect the diverse perspectives and histories of those connected to the land. The project kicked off in Spring 2024 and is ongoing.
About the Project
Our overall goal is to get representative feedback from a broad range of community members through workshops, surveys, and outreach activities to collect ideas, thoughts, and insights on the future of Emeryville Crescent.
- Conducting initial research and interviews with community members and Tribal voices to capture diverse perspectives.
- Developing and leading community workshops that foster collaboration and shared visioning.
- Partnering with project stakeholders to create the Emeryville Crescent Community Visioning Roadmap.
Project Timeline
- The project timeline is May 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026
- SMS Survey is Live – June 1, 2025
- Workshops Hosted – July 8-14, 2025
- Community Day – July 12, 2025
- SMS Survey Closes – July 31, 2025
Project Description
The project site is in Alameda County on the east shore of San Francisco Bay. Alameda County has a diverse topography and microclimate, and has an associated high diversity of vegetation, although development in the region has resulted in a substantial reduction in land available for native flora and fauna. San Francisco Bay has lost 80 percent of its historic tidal wetlands.
Project Materials
To learn more about this project, view our Emeryville Crescent Factsheet.
The following resources will be available in the future:
- Living Shorelines in the Emeryville Crescent Zine
- SFEI’s Resilient Baylands Mapbook
Future Directions for our Work
As a next step, project partners are preparing projects and seeking funding for shoreline adaptation in the East Bay Crescent. Stay tuned and get updates by signing up above!
