Solution Area - Cities
Phase: Seed Grants awarded, future scope under development
Risk-informed planning to enhance urban resilience to extreme natural hazards
PI: Gregory Deierlein, John A. Blume Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Co-PI: Jack Baker, William Alden Campbell and Martha Campbell Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
In partnership with the City of San Francisco, this project develops next-generation simulation tools to assess and reduce risks from earthquakes, flooding, extreme heat, and other climate-driven hazards. Combining advanced computational modeling, AI-assisted building data, and synthetic population models, the research enables high-resolution analyses of how buildings, infrastructure, and communities are affected and how they recover. Pilot studies of Chinatown and waterfront neighborhoods will demonstrate how these innovations – integrating physical, social, and economic systems – can inform equitable, cost-effective resilience strategies. The approach will provide a model for other cities confronting natural hazard risks in the broader context of climate adaptation and sustainable urban development.
Solution Area: Cities
Scaling equitable household flood resilience: A field experiment in Belle Air, San Bruno
PI: Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, Associate Professor of Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
This project evaluates a new household flood resilience program in Belle Air, a neighborhood in the City of San Bruno that faces chronic flooding. In partnership with OneShoreline of San Mateo County, our team is testing whether and how micro-grants for household flood protection measures – such as sump pumps and flood barriers – can help residents better prepare for and respond to floods. The study will monitor program uptake, resource selection and use, and changes in residents’ flood resilience over two years. Findings will inform local adaptation planning and offer lessons for scaling urban flood resilience programs to cities across California and beyond.
Solution Area: Cities
Designing cities from salvage: AI for city-scale material reuse
PI: Iro Armeni, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
This project advances circular design by developing an AI system that automates matchmaking between decommissioned yet reusable building elements and those seeking them for new projects. In collaboration with the City of San Francisco, the system uses natural language interaction to automatically generate and visualize design solutions integrating reclaimed elements directly within users’ spaces. By connecting real-world inventories with AI-driven design generation, it streamlines repurposing of elements. Addressing a critical technical and applied challenge faced by many cities – linking element availability with design intent – this work offers a scalable model for sustainable urban development that can guide municipal policy.
Solution Area: Cities
Apply for a Solution Area - Integrative Projects grant
Stanford faculty may learn how to engage with the Solution Area communities and grant process through the school’s Faculty Funding Opportunities on the intranet or reach out to Sarah Sandoval.