Waterfront Resilience Story Maps

Port of San Francisco

Introduction

The Port of San Francisco manages 7.5 miles of Bay shoreline that is home to some of the region’s most popular open spaces and attractions, a national historic district, hundreds of small businesses, nearby housing, and maritime and industrial uses. The Port’s jurisdiction includes transportation networks like BART and Muni, critical utilities including drinking and wastewater, and key disaster response facilities.

The Port’s Waterfront Resilience Program efforts ensure the waterfront, and its important regional and citywide assets, are resilient in the face of hazards such as earthquakes and flooding.

The Port’s 7.5 mile bayside jurisdiction is incredibly complex, with a diverse array of shoreline structures and infrastructure, and neighborhoods with unique character, land use, and priorities. In an effort to support and maintain this diversity as the Waterfront Resilience Program addresses seismic and flood risk, the Program area was divided into 15 subareas, across three main geographies.

Transforming the Shoreline

Over 100 years ago, the Port of San Francisco transformed the city and the Bay shoreline with the construction of the Embarcadero Seawall, a rock and concrete wall stretching three miles, creating a new Bay shoreline and laying the foundation for the thriving waterfront we know today. Mission Creek and Islais Creek were also transformed, with both creeks placed underground in culverts, and areas that were once open water, wetlands, and mudflats were filled in and developed to support the rapidly growing city.

Swipe left and right on the map below to explore the 1850 historic shoreline on the left, compared with the today's shoreline and the flooding that could occur with a 100-year coastal flood combined with 66 inches of sea level rise. This scenario represents the City's Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone, a high-end scenario that could occur by the end of this century. For much of the city, the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone closely resembles the historic shoreline.

What are the Risks?

The Port, in collaboration with City partners and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is taking steps to better understand the different earthquake and flood risks along its 7.5-mile bayside jurisdiction. Recent efforts include:

  • Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment
  • Flood Resiliency Study (with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
  • Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequences Assessment (City of San Francisco) 
  • Islais Creek Adaptation Strategy (with SF Planning, SFMTA, and SFPUC)
  • Initial Southern Waterfront Seismic Study
  • Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment

What's at Stake?

Each of the three geographies and 15 subareas has a story map that explains the specific earthquake and flooding risks along the Bay shoreline. These story maps also help explain what's at stake given the potential impacts of these risks. Dynamic maps detail important disaster response resources, transportation services, maritime industries, public utilities, parks, historic and cultural resources, and critical facilities within each subarea.

Pan through the 15 subareas below and select one to explore.

Aquatic Park

The  Aquatic Park  subarea covers many historic and recreational attractions and is primarily within the jurisdiction of the National Park Service as part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.

Fisherman's Wharf

 Fisherman’s Wharf  combines globally popular tourist attractions and historic destinations with an active commercial fishing industry that links San Francisco’s present waterfront to the city’s maritime past.

Pier 31 to 35

The  Pier 31 to 35  subarea is located on the northeast corner of the Fisherman’s Wharf area. It contains Piers 31, 33, and 35, which are part of the waterfront’s active maritime industry and contribute to the Port’s Embarcadero Historic District. 

Northeast Waterfront

The  Northeast Waterfront  subarea is home to historic buildings and popular attractions, from the Exploratorium and a range of restaurants to the Embarcadero Historic District and a significant length of the Embarcadero Promenade.

Ferry Building

The  Ferry Building  subarea is characterized by the iconic Ferry Building, first opened in 1898 and now a bustling regional ferry terminal, farmer’s market, and home to small and local businesses as well as many restaurants and food and culinary spots. 

South Beach

 South Beach  is home to historic piers, South Beach Harbor, parks, iconic waterfront views, affordable housing developments, and the San Francisco Giants ballpark.

Mission Creek

The  Mission Creek  subarea covers all of Mission Creek, from its houseboats and kayak boat launch to the harbor services, new residential housing, neighborhoods and parks, restored creek vegetation and habitats, and two historic drawbridges. 

Mission Rock

The  Mission Rock  subarea includes commercial tenants, historic Pier 48, and China Basin Park, combining business, maritime uses, and open public spaces. The Mission Rock project includes plans to provide new market-rate and affordable housing, mixed-use development, open space, and opportunities to create new living-wage jobs. 

Mission Bay

The  Mission Bay  subarea, originally an industrial district, has recently been redeveloped to enhance the local community and economy and to provide high-quality waterfront access. Notable additions include the newly opened Chase Center, Corinne Woods Pier 52 Boat Launch, and the state-of-the art UCSF and Kaiser medical centers. 

Pier 70

The  Pier 70  subarea carries a strong maritime and industrial heritage, with most of the buildings and structures located near Pier 70 itself included in the Union Iron Works Historic District. The Pier 70 project will rehabilitate historic resources, provide new shoreline open space, and allow for new residential and commercial development. 

Pier 80

 Pier 80 , a 60-acre site, is San Francisco’s largest cargo terminal and the City’s only pier that can support the direct unloading of materials from ships to railroad cars for further transportation and distribution of goods. Piers 80 to 96 are included in the Port’s Maritime Eco-Industrial Strategy.

Islais Creek

 Islais Creek  is an industrialized area that covers a large portion of the neighborhoods that surround Islais Creek and Islais Creek Channel. It includes the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant, serving about two-thirds of San Francisco’s residents.

Cargo Way

 Cargo Way  is predominantly a maritime and industrial area that supports bulk cargo operations, concrete and construction material production, Port maintenance operations, recycling facilities, concrete crushing and recycling, and self-storage facilities. 

Piers 94 and 96

The  Piers 94 and 96  subarea represents a cargo terminal and industrial area built on bay fill. Infrastructure includes bulk cargo terminals and equipment, deep water berths, and the San Francisco Bay Railyard that provides maritime, industrial, and emergency response services.

Heron's Head

 Heron's Head  subarea primarily consists of the 21-acre Heron’s Head Park, originally constructed as part of never-completed construction of a new cargo terminal, “Pier 98,” and officially zoned as an industrial area. It is now home to native plants and more than 100 bird species and one of the few wetlands on San Francisco’s shoreline.