In advance of President Obama's long-awaited speech on climate change, NPR looked at climate adaptation - preparing for the environmental changes it will cause. Rising sea level is the topic. In the U.S., two cities stand out: New York and Miami.
NPR host Jacki Lyden introduces the "cover story today: climate change and drowning cities, learning to live with rising seas." The 11-1/2 minute report is available as text, podcast and streaming audio.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's "ambitious 20-year plan that includes seawalls....and flood control structures in the city streets" puts New York City in a class by itself in preparation, states Lyden's guest, science and nature writer Tim Folger. "But will it be enough?", he asks.
On the other extreme - not because it isn't preparing for sea level but because it may have the most to lose and the most difficult to defend, is Miami. Lyden states that "(i)f sea levels rise three feet (by mid-century) as is projected, the entire city of Miami will be uninhabitable". She asks Folger to explain why Miami will be so difficult to defend from rising sea level.
(T)he biggest challenge for Miami and all of Southern Florida, really, is that the sorts of solutions that work in New York and in the Netherlands and perhaps even in Ho Chi Minh City [which has a contract with the Dutch to try to protect that city from sea level rise, he explained earlier] won't work in Miami because Miami and most of Southern Florida rests on this foundation of really highly porous limestone. It's just like this honeycomb or like petrified Swiss cheese. It's extremely porous. And so building a barrier won't really work because the water will just continue to flow beneath that barrier.
- A storm water master plan that takes into account climate change and rising tides. We are in the process right now of doing a major road construction project on Alton Road.
- Lifting the Alton Road construction project six inches.
- Raising sea walls "on the western quarter of the island...and by adding pump stations so we can pump water out quicker"
While the timing of this story is meant to coincide with President Obama's speech on climate change, it unintentionally corresponds with a "king tide - when high tide coincides with the largest full moon". Denise Keener of the Environmental Protections Agency, Lyden's third guest, explains that "(t)he ineluctable tidal pull results in a storm surge without the storm".
Will the king tide serve as a "wake-up call for communities", as Keener hopes, so they can prepare for rising sea levels? If not, the 500% increase in homeowners insurance in the last decade might do so.
FULL STORY: Coastal Cities Prepare For The Rising Tide
Opinion: One Solution to Manhattan's Land Shortage: Just Build It
A New York Times op-ed calls on the city to add landfill development on Manhattan's southern shoreline, claiming it would increase affordability and protect the city from rising sea levels.
Miami Residents Resist the Idea of a 20-Foot Seawall
As climate change accelerates sea level rise and flooding in South Florida, locals hope to mitigate the impacts with less dramatic interventions.
Revised Plans for Massive 'Ike Dike' Plan Revealed
A $26.2 billion proposal to protect the coastal area around Galveston has evolved since its first iteration in 2018.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research