Problem

The Downtown San José community is experiencing more intense heatwaves, with temperatures now reaching 109°F (25°F above average). The most vulnerable community members are experiencing dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and third-degree burns from hot pavement, in some cases leading to death. Community members with AC at home are feeling the financial burden of extremely high electricity costs, in some cases, forcing them to increase their debt and reallocate finances away from other essentials. Aging public buildings, such as schools, have AC but, with aging equipment, are unable to sufficiently cool students, affecting their ability to study. Heat waves have also led to power outages at medical centers, forcing the relocation of patients.

The Downtown San José community has also experienced many instances of flooding, especially along the rivers and creeks. Currently, 3,900 properties (41.2%) in Downtown San José are at risk of flooding. Heavy atmospheric rivers are increasingly causing power outages, overwhelming drainage systems, flooding streets, forcing the evacuation and displacement of community members, closing schools, damaging homes and other assets, and suspending sanitary sewer services. The severe flooding has been especially devastating for the unhoused, many of whom live along the rivers and creeks.

Finally, the community is surrounded by high-fire severity zones, with recent wildfires producing extremely poor air quality - at times, the worst in the world - that led to evacuations, strain on emergency health services, work time lost, higher medical expenses, and, in some instances, death. This climate-related hazard exacerbates existing moderate to poor air pollution levels resulting from traffic congestion and the City's location in a valley (which traps pollution).

Project

We plan to build on San José’s 2025 Climate Vulnerability Assessment and 2026 Climate Adaptation & Resilience Plan by implementing nature-based options in Downtown San José that are feasible within the time and funding constraints of this CSCI grant, and by developing an implementation plan for those that require more time and funding. Specifically, we plan to follow the guidelines outlined in the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit to investigate green stormwater infrastructure and urban heat mitigation options, prioritize them, develop a plan to implement the highest-priority options, and implement those that are feasible within the given time and funding. We will also disseminate the project’s results widely to the City’s residents and relevant public and private organizations.