CIVIC-PG Track A: Coastal smart network for implementing equitable adaptation in Santa Cruz, CA

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This research co-develops a smart coastal change monitoring plan for the city of Santa Cruz, California via affordable, equity-centered tools for collaborative adaptation that can be adopted and scaled to other coastal cities and communities. Adaptation of coastal cities to climate change is limited by their capacity to monitor key tipping points as well as insufficient public engagement and buy-in. To combat climate change and sea level rise, the city of Santa Cruz has developed a series of adaptation pathways that serve as iterative roadmaps providing a cascading sequence of actions that are triggered when a system gets close to its tipping point. At this stage, which is indicated by monitoring of the system, the next phase of adaptation is triggered. Such triggers have already been defined by the civic organizations for local beaches, cliffs, bluffs, and shore protecting riprap. The issue being faced, however, is having affordable technology for measuring these systems so approach to the trigger point can be quickly, unequivocally, and accurately identified and having community buy-in for the next stage of adaption. This research focused on creating a computer-based dashboard for to assist in interactive decision making as well as creating community awareness of the situation and impending changes and providing a vehicle for them to engage more effectively and in a timely manner with city and civic organizations on the adaptation and moving to the next stage. The community engagement plan examines the power dynamics that shape policy which is essential to inform integration of science within social learning by vulnerable communities. Third, innovative communication technologies, including virtual reality and gamification, can build equitable visions and consensus around adaptation to climate hazards. Broader impacts of the work include integration of city, coastal change, monitoring technologies with other data to extend geographic coverage, inform land use managers and decision makers, as well as improve coastal hazard prediction. It can also be used to develop new flood/erosion warning systems and advance adaptation local community understanding and buy-in. Second, the project advances understanding of how to monitor both social and geophysical triggers. This research addressed two prime questions: (1) What configuration of technologies and practices cost-effectively establishes a smart coastal change monitoring network for a heterogenous coastline, enhances data-driven hazard preparedness, and is replicable in other settings and (2) What integration of technology and communication tools are cost-effective, sustainable and foster community engagement, decision-making, and equity working with diverse groups on risk solutions? Financial factors for replicability will inform choices of technologies, software and network configuration, the deployment plan, civic engagement, and long-term maintenance of the program. Existing and new technology options will be explored based on available data, cost, and community involvement such as using smartphones and social media, video detection, remote sensing and other solutions. For the first question, this work co-develops, with frontline community groups, a communications and engagement plan that includes culturally sensitive community outreach. The groups participate in planning and scoping activities, building on prior collaboration in co-designing innovative interaction tools in the City (e.g., virtual reality, phone apps and games) designed to increase participation of vulnerable communities in coastal hazards planning. This work will be in preparation of a follow-on activity (CIVIC Stage 2 proposal) from which a pilot project will be implemented to test designs and tools that interact with the monitoring network to build resilience. If successful, this work would be scalable and translatable to other coastal cities and communities.This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program—Track A. Living in a changing climate: pre-disaster action around adaptation, resilience, and mitigation—and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.