Category: Fight or Flight
When you know it’s coming for you — fire, flood, heat or stormy weather. Planning, designing and building for safety, efficiency and equity.
New Metrics on Hybrid Gray-Green Levees
UC Santa Cruz research project investigates how horizontal “living levees” can cut flood risk.
Can Colgan Creek Do It All? Santa Rosa Reimagines Flood Control
A restoration project blends old-school flood control with modern green infrastructure. Is this how California can manage runoff from future megastorms?
Bumpy Road Ahead for Fast-Tracking Program?
The multi-agency BRRIT has streamlined wetland permitting, but ongoing federal cuts could slow its progress.

All Stories
Mayor Pushes Suisun City To Do Better
Mayor Alma Hernandez has devoted herself to preparing her community for a warming world.
New Metrics on Hybrid Gray-Green Levees
UC Santa Cruz research project investigates how horizontal “living levees” can cut flood risk.
Can Colgan Creek Do It All? Santa Rosa Reimagines Flood Control
A restoration project blends old-school flood control with modern green infrastructure. Is this how California can manage runoff from future megastorms?
Bumpy Road Ahead for Fast-Tracking Program?
The multi-agency BRRIT has streamlined wetland permitting, but ongoing federal cuts could slow its progress.
A Ramble Around Pacheco Marsh
We tour Pacheco Marsh, a once-rough patch of Bay shoreline that is now a green refuge for walkers, birds, and even paddleboarders.
Slow Progress on Shade For California’s Hottest Desert Towns
Coachella Valley communities face record temperatures with little shade. Policy changes lag as local groups push for heat equity.
In Uncertain Times, the Port of Oakland Goes Electric
A $322M grant powers Oakland’s port electrification — cleaning air, cutting emissions, and investing in community justice.
Testing Adaptation Limits: Mariposa Trails, Marin Roads & San Francisco Greenspace
In KneeDeep’s new column, The Practice, we daylight how designers, engineers and planners are helping communities adapt to a changing climate.
Boxes of Mud Could Tell a Hopeful Sediment Story
Scientists are testing whether dredged sediment placed in nearby shallows can help our wetlands keep pace with rising seas. Tiny tracers may reveal the answer.
Staying Wise About Fire – 5 Years Post-CZU
As insurance companies pull out and wildfire seasons intensify, Santa Cruz County residents navigate the complexities of staying fire-ready.
High-Concept Plans for a High-Risk Shoreline
OneShoreline’s effort to shield the Millbrae-Burlingame shoreline from flooding has to balance cost, habitat, and airport safety.
On Napa’s Milton Road, No Resident Is an Island
On Edgerly Island, homes sit behind a sinking, century-old levee. The community is at risk from sea level rise – unless they can agree to pay the cost of resilience.
