Call for ideas on living in a warming world

Typography
The impacts of climate change are a hot topic among scientists and environmental activists. Now the Bay Conservation and Development Commission wants to hear from another perspective: the design community. The state agency is preparing to launch a $125,000 competition that will invite architects, planners and engineers to bring innovative proposals "to climate-proof the Bay Area," in the words of the competition outline.

The impacts of climate change are a hot topic among scientists and environmental activists. Now the Bay Conservation and Development Commission wants to hear from another perspective: the design community.

The state agency is preparing to launch a $125,000 competition that will invite architects, planners and engineers to bring innovative proposals "to climate-proof the Bay Area," in the words of the competition outline.

!ADVERTISEMENT!

The aim isn't to stop climate change from happening, say officials, or to build impregnable levees. The goal is to get designers thinking creatively about how to prepare for a world where the sea level might climb several feet - inundating large portions of the developed region unless something is done.

"We are looking for ideas that can lead to future standards about how to deal with rising tides," said Brad McCrea, a development design analyst for the commission. "We want to move the discussion forward."

Article Continues: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/19/BAT914QO3U.DTL