The cities of Millbrae and Burlingame face shoreline flooding from the San Francisco Bay and inland flooding during major rainfall events that overwhelm local creeks and storm drain systems. The Millbrae and Burlingame Shoreline Resilience Project will provide long-term climate resilience against sea level rise and extreme storms for these communities. This is a marquee project of OneShoreline, which was established by State legislation in 2020 to support coordination among local communities in San Mateo County. In 2024, Civic Edge was brought on to create and implement an outreach and engagement strategy for the Project.
Our process began with a series of community conversations to understand the needs and priorities of the Project’s key audiences. Through relationship building and collaboration with multiple parties we developed an engagement plan that met the needs of the community and project team. In fall 2024, the Civic Edge team facilitated two public workshops, walking tours, and presentations with regulatory agencies, landowners, community based organizations, and city partners to ensure smooth progression for the next phase of the project.
Grounded by recommendations gleaned from community conversations, our outreach and engagement strategy better connected OneShoreline to the Millbrae and Burlingame communities the organization was trying to reach. For example, we hosted two separate charrette-style public workshops - one in each community. We also supported OneShoreline in hosting walking tours and one-on-one meetings with key community groups. Successful outreach led to positive feedback from the community and greater trust in OneShoreline and their vision for the Project.