4. San Francisco's "managed retreat" from rising sea levels

Illustration of a road closed sign and a highway along a shoreline surrounded by shapes, rulers, and grids

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The city of San Francisco has imminent plans to shut down nearly 1 mile of its heavily trafficked roadway bordering the Pacific Ocean, due to erosion concerns from rising sea levels.

Why it matters: The proposal, known officially as the Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project, is the city's first known example of a "managed retreat" and shows how sea level rise is already changing the way San Francisco functions.

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