The Rising Importance of Landscape Architects to Counter Coastal Erosion

?At the frontlines of climate change- coastal erosion

Within 50 years, Venice is estimated to be completely underwater—a fate shared by some of the world's greatest coastal cities like Jakarta, Osaka, Miami and Lagos amongst many others. Two-thirds of the world’s major cities and economy districts, that host ca. 60% of the world population, lie within close proximity to the coast. Tectonic episodes, adverse climate conditions, hurricanes and floods further contribute as threats to human settlements based around the coast. This reinforces the importance of rethinking the ecological balance between human settlements and the landscapes of the coast.

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Climate Gentrification

Over the past decade, coastal towns have noted an influx in investment in order to improve climate resilience. However, the efforts to develop structures to withstand storms, floods and erosion may inadvertently pose threats to communities and settlements in the region. In the case of Miami, climate gentrification is impacting local communities that have been historically marginalized. Developers and residents seeking higher terrain are moving further inland to protect their assets from rising sea levels whist communities previously rooted there are on the verge of facing displacement and gentrification. The rising costs of flood insurance and value appreciation of properties inland add to the lure of higher ground. Poorer communities will continue to face economic and environmental burdens if unregulated economies remain. Governments must thus invest in long-term housing affordability and a self-sustaining future for their low-income communities. Scientific models must be sought for as basis of development instead encouraging densified population development on the waterfront.

?Tourism

Areas under threat of coastal erosion tend to be the ones where coastal settlements have increased to accommodate needs of the tourism industry within the last century. Coastal communities today are polarized between financial and long term visions, between exploitation and liveability of the area. Harmonizing coastal life, incomes and the landscape thus becomes critical to help guide sustainable decision-making for the future of coastal regions like Venice. One proposal involves bringing back residents into coastal areas, such that the inhabitants can actively engage in improving the fabric of the coast.

?Regenerating landscapes

Material damages, battered homes and flooded highways are consequences of the volatile floods and landslides but the progressive contamination of freshwater bodies by seawater further raises the issue of environmental degradation. This also highlights the importance of regenerating landscapes and making coasts resilient in the long-term. Ecosystems and biodiversity along the coastline can be improved by means of sea-grass meadows, oyster barriers and dunes, mangroves, floating agricultural crops and by employment of self-adaptive systems such as salt marshes. In the case of Venice, a muddy lagoon with inadequate foundations, the reintroduction of barene (lagoon islands) could aid as natural flood defence systems along the shoreline.

Innovation districts on the waterfront

Over the last decade, seaports like South Boston and Amsterdam have been rebranded as innovation districts, dedicated to architecture and engineering based on emerging science. This also comes with successfully reinventing the waterfront with imaginative urban planning, for e.g. vacating new land into wetlands, stormwater detention basins, rain gardens, floodable green infrastructures, implementing multi-purpose urban seawalls and investing in large scale ecological parks by the coastline. ?

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Conclusion

Coasts—home to historical communities, fishery, agriculture, tourism, and trade— are ever changing landscapes that must be documented. They are spaces with complex needs that vary across the globe. In the context of climate gentrification, high-income households relocate from flood-prone coastal properties to higher-elevation areas in the mainland; regulating local economies becomes key in such cases so that low-income and marginalized historical communities are not adversely affected by the threats of climate change. For coastlines vulnerable to flooding, reintroducing natural systems to foster drainage and reduce runoff is of essence. At the same time, they must seamlessly integrate both civic and hydrological functions. The situation demands responsible landscape architecting, going beyond aesthetics alone. Landscape architects must foster coastlines into climate-resilient areas of culture, innovation and beauty.

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