An Exploration of “Weaving Threads” as a Model for Resilience in Bay Area Marginal Suburban Communities

Abstract

From a broad and comprehensive perspective, the thesis discusses social-ecological resilience and guides application of resilience in Bay Area marginal suburban communities. First of all, the thesis describes the challenges and opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area and specifically in the marginal suburban communities. The thesis then continues exploring resilience by demonstrating its definition, how it works as well as difference between specific resilience and general resilience. General resilience is the main focus of this thesis. The conclusion of the research on resilience concerns the two important qualities of resilience – dynamic adaptivity as well as complex and clear systems. To showcase the adaptivity, complexity, and clarity of the resilient systems, the thesis cites examples of the undergoing transforming systems in the Bay Area in a wide spectrum. After an in-depth research of resilience in theory and practice, the thesis explores its own theory of “weaving threads” as a model for resilience in Bay Area marginal suburban communities. The materials for weaving a resilient suburban fabric are the six resilient threads including ecology thread, identity thread, infrastructure thread, transportation thread, land use thread, and technology thread. A community named Alviso in San Jose is chosen as a good representation of Bay Area marginal suburban community for applying the theory. Using the example of Alviso, the thesis gives a guidance of weaving processes – characterizing the “warp” (the strong threads) and “weft” (the flexible threads) of the marginal suburban fabric, carding the relationship between different threads, and weaving the resilient fabric with proper firmness and looseness.