Earthquakes are in San Francisco’s future. The consequences of those disasters will be very different, for better or for worse, depending on the policy choices and actions the City takes today. The Earthquake Safety Implementation Program (ESIP) began in early 2012, evolving out of the key recommendations of the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety (CAPSS), a 10-year-long study evaluating the seismic vulnerabilities San Francisco faces. Its plan for action was turned into the 50 tasks San Francisco will be implementing over the next few decades.
San Francisco Tall Buildings Study
The San Francisco Tall Buildings Study is the first study in the nation to look at the impact of earthquakes on a large group of buildings higher than 240 feet. The report characterizes the issues and available information; proposes regulatory and procedural recommendations where appropriate; and identifies areas where future studies would be helpful.
San Francisco Tall Buildings Study released January 10, 2019
San Francisco Tall Buildings Safety Strategy update released on June 18, 2019
Visualization of Tall Buildings
Private Schools Earthquake Evaluation Program
The Private schools Earthquake Evaluation Program requires seismic evaluation of select buildings in all of San Francisco's private schools.
Learn more about the Private Schools Earthquake Evaluation Program
Mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit Program
The Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program was created in 2013 as a multi-year community-based effort to ensure the safety and resilience of San Francisco's housing stock through the retrofit of older, wood-framed, multi-family buildings with a soft-story condition.
Learn more about the Soft-Story Retrofit Program
Facade Inspection and Maintenance Program
The Building Facade Inspection and Maintenance Program requires the facades of certain buildings having five or more stories to undergo initial and subsequent inspections according to a schedule based on the original construction date of a building. The program was developed from extensive community and design professional input aimed at reducing the risk to the public and the City’s resilience from façade failure.
Learn more about the Façade Inspection and Maintenance Program
Chimney Mitigation
The Chimney Mitigation report describes the earthquake risks posed by San Francisco’s masonry chimneys and presents background data to inform the development of mitigation policies and offers recommendations based on those findings.
Aerial of Downtown
