after hurricane sandy hit new york city in 2012, parts of the city were inundated. more than 40 people died, millions of new yorkers were without power, and hundreds of homes were destroyed. 

joe christo, who helped lead the city’s recovery efforts, said the storm was a wake-up call to the dangers of sea level rise. the hurricane cost the city $19 billion in damages, according to a report by the new york city comptroller. 

christo now works as managing director of the stone living lab, a boston-based partnership between the university of massachusetts boston’s school of the environment, boston harbor now, the city of boston, and other state and local environmental groups.

“a sandy-like storm will hit here,” christo said about boston. “and we want to try to be as prepared and ready as possible.” coastal communities are most at risk when sea level rise combines with high tides and a severe storm like sandy — the triple threat that slammed manhattan. 

to the north, about one-sixth of boston sits on landfill, making it particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. this vulnerability is made worse by sea levels rising faster — scientists predict about 1 inch every eight years. at this rate, by 2050 boston could see over a foot of sea level rise compared to 2016.

as part of the climate ready boston initiative, the city developed coastal resilience plans for all 47 miles of its coastline. the plans include developing coastal parks, raising harbor walks, building seawalls, and adapting waterfront buildings, with a focus on completing projects in high flood-risk areas by 2030.

the stone living lab’s goal is to scale up nature-based approaches as a defense against sea level rise. 

“a traditional vertical seawall works against water, and nature-based approaches work with water,” christo said. “water’s always going to win, so you want to be working with it and be able to absorb and adapt instead of trying to fight against it.”

nature-based approaches include restoring salt marshes, building oyster reefs, protecting sand dunes, and building coastal parks. christo said these approaches protect the shorelines and also bring co-benefits, like increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon. 

most recently, the lab has been testing out a living seawall and an erosion prevention project. the hope is that these projects can provide compelling evidence for the benefits of nature-based approaches so that they can become more mainstream. 

“we want these lessons to be applied to other coastal areas throughout north america and throughout the world,” christo said. 

the stone living lab’s nature-inspired seawall

in east boston’s harbor, a handful of snails, two mussels, and species of algae are nestled into the crevices and divots across the surface of concrete panels installed on a vertical seawall. 

the species are able to call this spot their new home thanks to the living seawalls pilot project, a nature-based solution spearheaded by the stone living lab that turns traditional seawalls, usually devoid of life, into a space for marine biodiversity. in october, panels were installed at two existing seawalls in east boston and the seaport. 

the 40-pound, 2-by-2-foot panels were 3d printed to mimic natural habitats along the shoreline. they were installed along the intertidal line of the seawalls to be submerged at high tide and exposed at low. the whole project cost $400,000, according to christo.

the panels are regularly monitored by a group from project partner umass boston for changes in marine life, with portions of the seawall left without panels to serve as a comparison. 

jarrett byrnes, the project lead and associate professor at umass boston, said seawalls are an inevitable part of combating sea level rise, especially in urban areas where space is limited. but a slab of concrete or stacks of granite blocks is not ideal for marine biodiversity. 

“what we are trying to do with the living seawall project is create a habitat for native biodiversity to survive and thrive,” he said. “we’re trying to turn what is a win-lose into a win-win.”

the panels provide a rocky intertidal habitat — places with shade and moisture where species like mussels, crabs, and algae can thrive.

although it’s the seawall structure that protects against rising waters, byrnes said it’s possible that species growth on the panels could dampen wave action, a potential added benefit. 

byrnes is excited to know what the surface of the living seawalls will look like in a year. he predicts that because each panel is uniquely textured, different species will thrive on certain panels. 

“as we continue to armor our shorelines, i’m hoping that this is going to be one arrow in our quiver of making sure that coastal armoring doesn’t mean reducing nature,” he said. 

installing cobble berms across massachusetts’ coast

a strip of cobblestones along the coastline may look unassuming in massachusetts, where rocky shorelines are common. but these strips of 3- to 10-inch sized rocks, otherwise known as cobble berms, protect against sea level rise and storm surge. 

cobble berms are often naturally occurring on rocky coastlines. stones are pushed toward the back of the beach by waves, forming a berm, or a flat strip of raised land. the berms absorb wave energy and protect coastal banks and dunes from erosion. 

seawalls often have waves crashing over them and can cause erosion to the beach in front of them. cobble berms act differently. 

“if you think about a cushion, the cobble berms will move and act as a cushion to some of that wave energy, as opposed to say, a concrete seawall,” said kirk bosma, a senior coastal engineer at the woods hole group. 

the stone living lab, in partnership with the woods hole group and massachusetts office of coastal zone management, recently launched a cobble berms monitoring project. several man-made berms and enhancements to natural ones were installed at six sites across massachusetts, including one in boston. 

over the past two years, research staff partnered with the stone living lab have regularly surveyed the berms. 

data is still being gathered, but from preliminary findings, bosma said that in all six locations, erosion was reduced in areas behind the cobble berms. the data also showed an increase in species richness between cobbles and near the cobble berms, and further analysis is underway. 

“there is some added benefit beyond what they are able to do from a resiliency perspective,” bosma said. 

bosma hopes to install a pilot cobble berm in boston for an in-depth study. he envisions testing out different designs with varying shapes and sizes of cobbles, as well as tagging the cobbles to see how they move over time. 

“we’re learning … what mother nature wants to do to provide resilience,” bosma said. 

but a closer look in the direction of black river next to the road reveals the remnants of what some residents call the “great vermont flood of 2023.” in july of last year, heavy rains inundated much of the state causing catastrophic flooding.

as of march of 2024, debris from dead trees are scattered everywhere; utility poles are leaning on their sides, bent low to the water on the verge of drowning. just beyond this road, a state park remains closed; pits of exposed soil caused by large volumes of runoff are lacking vegetation, despite their location being within vast stretches of forest. 

some community members in the surrounding towns seem to be at a similar state of recovery as route 131. 

chloe perry, a resident of wallingford, was left with a flooded home that was going to cost her $110,000 and nearly a year of labor to repair. the piles of debris were substantial enough for fema workers to say it was one of the worst-hit houses they’ve seen, according to perry – yet all she received in aid was a $250 check. 

perry, who also owns a bakery a few minutes from her home, is still recovering from those damages. “i got about two feet of water on the entire first floor of my home. so all my walls were ripped out, my floors were ripped out, [and] all my appliances died,” says perry. the $110,000 estimate in losses drawn up by her flood insurance company did not cover any private belongings.

to make matters worse, the high demand for contractors after the storm meant that perry had to take on much of the labor herself. thankfully, perry hopes to be done with the repairs in the coming weeks.

a few towns over in windsor, vermont, kimberley friesenhahn and her husband joseph experienced a sudden scare during the storm when nearly a dozen trees fell and struck her pig den in the backyard. miraculously, all the pigs lived.

however, the damage has had a significant impact on her plans for her farmstead. “ it was expensive because we weren’t able to salvage the fencing that we had for them, which meant we had to go purchase all new fencing… it definitely puts a stress on the budget,” she said.

the pigs, which were an integral part of her plan to develop a silvo-pasture, a pasture that integrates trees, across the multi-acre woods beyond her current farmstead, may no longer serve a purpose for the freisenhahns. “we just had to put all of those plans on hold… we just don’t feel comfortable allowing the animals in the forest,” she continued.

as climate patterns in vermont progress toward wetter springs and summers, the floods aren’t the only concern for the freisenhahns: more rain means less time out in the woods for the goats, as their hooves will be vulnerable to diseases if not kept dry. damper grounds also mean looser soil, which translates to greater chances of trees falling, as last july demonstrated. this poses serious risks of following through with their plans for the silvopasture. after last july, the friesenhahns decided to put a pause on their development plans for the farmstead.

liza welch, a friend of the freisenhahns and the owners of busyb goat farm and apiary in weathersfield, was met with the news that their usual supplier for hay was not able to produce any hay at all that summer. “as a farm, we have 53 animals. we usually have to source about 1600 bales of hay to get us through the winter,” welch explained. “when i do that, i have a couple of different sources of hay. and i actually had three of our sources reach out to me [last year] and tell me that they couldn’t fulfill the promise.”

to those that have dealt with similar repercussions from the flooding as perry or freisenhahn, the issue now lies in the future of vermont’s climate patterns. if such storms increase in frequency, it can only mean more trouble more often. “i own a bakery here. my kids go to school here. i can’t leave the area and there’s nothing else i can afford even within probably 200,000 of what i paid for my house,” says perry. “i get flood warnings now and it sends me into a whole panic.”

and that panic was only validated with another heavy storm in december 2023 that added salt to the open wound for many residents. for perry and her family, the second storm brought in another four feet of water into her basement. after the encounter with fema, perry has not applied for any more aid.

on the brighter side, communities have come together more than ever over these last nine months, which perry felt was important to emphasize. she highlighted the wallingford thrift shop, explaining that the shop has taken the lead in helping those who have lost personal goods from the storm. 

welch believes that such catastrophic events are only going to improve vermont’s resilience, saying “each time something like this happens, vermont has taken a stance to be stronger and get more productive and more precautious. we do our best with what we’ve got and we overcome.”

in this podcast, lily edelman-gold, a young female professional in the california transportation and electric vehicle (ev) industry, discusses “a future of fair fueling,” her mapping project for equitable access of ev charging stations within monterey, california.  she walks us through how she created this project using arcgis pro, a geographic information system (gis) software through which professionals can analyze and display data through maps.

arcgis pro is a crucial tool for various environmental applications, such as mapping runoff risk to reefs and monitoring the illegal wildlife trade. edelman-gold’s project maps recommended ev charging locations in monterey that ensures equitable access for disadvantaged communities.  

a soon-to-be graduate from the middlebury institute of international studies (miis) in monterey, edelman-gold will be graduating with a masters in international environmental policy and sustainability management.  listen to learn more!

view excerpts from edelman-gold’s mapping project below — click to expand!

it’s hard to imagine a modern neighborhood without cars. or a city without parking lots. instead of rolling through a starbucks drive-thru on a 45-minute commute to work, imagine walking 50 feet to the neighborhood café while wearing pajamas. in a community without roads or garages, neighbors connect through shared walking spaces and european-style plazas. 

in tempe, arizona, a team of developers envisioned exactly this as they built culdesac. the six-acre residential community is filled with coworking spaces, local shops, backyard parks and plazas, small businesses, and transit alternatives such as electric bikes and ride shares. promoted as the “five-minute city,” the neighborhood houses over 100 residents in a 760-apartment complex with no residential parking. culdesac offers one-to three-bedroom apartments costing $1400 to $3200 per month. the neighborhood formally opened in may 2023.

culdesac may be the first of many car-free neighborhoods. its construction is timely, its developers say, as the united states grapples with road congestion and carbon emissions from the transportation sector. the transportation sector alone is a major source of greenhouse gas emission in the us and accounts for more than half of nitrogen oxides in our air, according to epa data. amid high costs of living driven up by parking lot construction, the question of whether to own a car at all has become a prominent dilemma for new city-dwellers. in three weeks, nearly 2,000 people signed up for culdesac’s interest list.

culdesac: a new housing model

the culdesac team is building what members call “missing middle housing.” missing middle housing entails neither single-family homes nor tall apartment buildings – it’s somewhere in between. this semi-dense, walkable urban living is “missing” since there’s not a lot of it on the market. “we’re building the kind of housing most americans are looking for,” said ryan johnson, co-founder and ceo of culdesac.

but is the united states ready for missing middle housing? 

the culdesac team would like to see more of it. however, the answer depends on each city’s level of readiness to ensure a comfortable transition. key factors include whether a neighborhood is close to a light rail or other public transit, as well as ensuring a robust selection of backup transit options such as discounted lyft rides, free e-bikes, and diverse micro-retailers to choose from. 

“zero residential parking” has a daunting ring to many policymakers. the culdesac team had to work closely with local government officials in tempe to achieve that goal while also planning to prevent congestion and navigating zoning regulations. the careful planning process was a time-consuming but not insurmountable challenge for tempe, and local officials were cooperative. (according to johnson, tempe’s mayor now dines at culdesac’s cocina chiwas restaurant nearly every week.)

a shift away from cars?

a growing number of americans are receptive to a car-free lifestyle. over 53% of americans want to live in walkable neighborhoods – but only 8% do. walkability is an important factor in community living – a 2020 survey from the national association of realtors found that people with a place to walk in their community continue to be the most satisfied with their quality of life. many americans instead satiate their walkability cravings by vacationing to the cobblestone streets and greenery of european villages, only to return a week later to a starkly individualistic lifestyle centered around highway commuting. 

the very luxuries americans seek out on vacations can be built into our working lives; for example, green space. when developers don’t have to plan (or pay) for parking lots, roads, and driveways, budgets for gardens, walkways, and patches of green space can rise in priority.

tempe’s car-free community offers three times the average amount of green space seen in typical developments, according to culdesac. this model of living is speaking to some people loudly in the wake of the pandemic, when work-life expectations have shifted dramatically toward remote work.

in addition to the cultural elements of walkability and green space, price is a factor that heavily influences tenants’ decision to go car-free.  not only are cars and gasoline expensive but, providing parking drives up costs for developers. even a surface parking space costs $20,000 to $30,000, said david king, an associate professor of urban planning at arizona state university. these lots accumulate financial, social, and aesthetic costs. “essentially, we require cities to build ample parking in these places where people want to go, and it diminishes the built environment – it makes it dry,” king explains. “if you have to cross the parking lot, that lot separates you from everything you want to do.”

the future of car-free neighborhoods

culdesac is evaluating new site locations across the country. the claim that tempe, arizona is home to the first car-free community of its kind in the united states is a stimulating one — but is more complicated when we consider urban design historically, said king.

 “certainly, it’s very unique now,” said king, noting culdesac is “harking back closer to the way we used to build things 100 years ago. i think we need more of this.” 

geographically, the culdesac model of living is much more popular outside of the united states. founders of culdesac were inspired by walkable neighborhoods in europe, africa, and latin america. some intentional car-free projects have had positive impacts on air quality—including a 40% reduction in no2 levels on car-free days—and getting people moving, which is good for health. a rising number of cities are trying their hand at the car-free model. in freiburg, germany, for example, a ban on cars in the center city increased bike use and decreased traffic and air pollution, while other projects, like google’s sidewalk labs in toronto, have fallen short with an overload of sustainability requirements.

johnson and his team consider culdesac a “reference project” for cities built for people in the 2020s. “to be honest, we’re not sure if future cities will ever be completely car-free,” said johnson. “we’re not necessarily ‘anti-car’ but rather, we’re against our cities’ dependency on private cars.” 

whether or not the 21st century will be defined as a post-car era, culdesac could be one of the first communities to break the cultural mold of car dependency. if successful, the united states may see an upsurge in neighborhoods seeking mobility, community, and the symbolic quietude of a car-free cul-de-sac.

in 2019, i was received at the palace of the mese community monarch in ilaje, ondo state, nigeria. today, that palace has been swept away by the sea. 

Ìlàje is a region in nigeria that is richly blessed as an oil-producing hub. the area also shares borders with nearby big cities including lagos, regarded as the biggest economic center in west africa. 

according to a community monarch in the region, life was once normal and fair, and years passed with residents living peaceful lives. this was until oil exploration came to the scene.

Ìlàje, the only oil producing region in ondo state is one of nigeria’s biggest repository of investments considering the tonnes of crude oil produced daily produced in the region. unfortunately, the eventual outcome of these activities also kills both the green and blue economy. 

scientists and environmentalists in recent years have confirmed that these activities have exacerbated the impacts of climate change on rising sea levels, causing many residents to grow anxious about the safety of their region. local leaders have reported that their physical environments are complete shadows of how they used to be. in many places, the ocean now resides by people’s windows, threatening to take entire homes away. where there were once beaches, now they are replaced by mud. 

it was like a nightmare for the residents of ayetoro, mese, awoye and gbagira, communities of ilaje, around march 2019 when they experienced an unusual sea incursion which came in the middle of the night to displace the dwellers of their abodes. 

to make things worse, despite the oil richness, the renegotiated global memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 by chevron — the oil company most prominent in the area — has not ensured adaptive infrastructural measures for the region.

in 2019 i knew i had to get involved. i launched the #saveilaje campaign in collaboration with the international student environmental coalition and Ìlàje advance forum, a youth led organization in Ìlàje region. the goal was to act on the united nations sustainable development goal #13 and “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” 

the campaign involved four major affected communities in ilaje which gave me the opportunity to sail through the coastal region to gather my facts and speak with community members. one thing that stuck out to me, was that Ìlàje communities know that their immediate problem is sea incursion but unfortunately, many adults in the area didn’t really know that the root cause of the intruding sea water was climate change.

i spoke with youth leaders across the four severely affected communities in ilaje who all lampooned the current situation, laying the blame on chevron and the government responsible for oil drilling in their region. although they had more understanding of climate change than some of their elders, they were more concerned with the injustices occurring, especially surrounding the failure of the company to honor the agreement signed with ilaje regional development committee.

a community leader weighs in

“50 years ago, everything in this community was good… (it had a) serene and peaceful environment until the oil companies came to start oil exploration. they started following their process with a disguise of making our communities better. little did we know that they came to bring our communities to doom.” said baale of mese kingdom. baale is the community monarch of mese kingdom who has lived all his life in the community. he occupies the supreme office in the community.

“the fish in the water are reducing, likewise other water resources. the sea keeps encroaching (on) our abodes, destroying our properties. the oil companies are supposed to provide infrastructure, potable water, electricity but they have not done any of these. should i have the opportunity to stop their activities, i would sign the paper,” baale said.

my efforts

i have been in constant touch with Ìlàje youth organizations to access accurate data which will enhance more knowledge on the rate, time, and season at which the sea sweeps off the settlements in order to be familiar with tracking evolving details on this recurring environmental issue. mayokun iyaomolere, a fellow environmentalist who is a native of Ìlàje has been monitoring the collected data. the data provides updates on the current situation of Ìlàje region.

i have also been an active advocate of ilaje people. although i have grown more discouraged that my advocacy is being heard in the government, some actions have happened and they are beginning to act. some few months ago, the governor of ondo state in an interview sought the assistance of international organizations to join the state in finding solutions. i have also been taking every opportunity to teach the people of ilaje on climate education.

required adaptive measures

more funding and infrastructure are needed to keep these communities safe and less oil drilling is needed to slow the effects of climate change on the sea level. governments must act and citizens must be educated on the issue so that their voices may be heard. unfortunately for now, the situation in Ìlàje continues to worsen and oil exploration continues. i hope the government takes quick steps and involves the appropriate sectors in providing sea embankments as is done in other coastal regions such as bonny island in river state, brass in bayelsa, eko atlantic in lagos state and more. more so, climate change education curriculum should be provided especially for the students of ilaje region. this will help the younger generations in the region to prepare for climate impacts.

turning grey spaces green: urban cities return to nature is a short video project imagining what the world could be if nature and cities work together to heal the planet. it explores how biophilic design and the rewilding of urban areas could efficiently combat climate change and aid the planet’s recovery from such actions. furthermore, the video discusses commentary on our reconnection to the natural world and the benefits that come from doing so.

waves crash against the concrete sea wall hugging the shoreline along chicago’s calumet park. sections of the gray boundary between land and lake are crumbling against the constant pressure of the elements.

with over 25 miles of glistening blue water, chicago’s lakeshore, composed of lake michigan beaches, faces a significant threat. erosion is the shrinking of a shoreline that is slowly worn away by waves, wind, currents and other natural factors, and it is affecting the city’s shoreline at an exacerbated rate due to climate change. 

chicago beaches are narrowing at a rate of nearly 100 ft. per year along parts of the coastline, meaning less space for recreation and the loss of habitats for shorebirds and other beach animals.

“in a warming climate, there’s more intense precipitation events, which also tend to facilitate higher rates of erosion,” max berkelhammer, a climate and atmospheric scientist and professor at university of illinois at chicago, said. “the primary cause is coastal management. like building right along coastlines and not maintaining basically wetlands or or natural shore ecosystems that absorb the action of the lake. so i think it’s primarily a human or urban development issue.”

berkehammer said the primary action in question is the rising lake levels exposing more of the sand to water, wind and the increase in runoff — when it rains faster than the sand or soil can absorb the water and it runs off a surface, increasing the rate of erosion.

erosion causes damage to infrastructure (roads, buildings and parking lots) and natural habitats. it can also threaten public health by increasing the risk of algal blooms, quick growing areas of algae that can produce harmful toxins. 

edgewater environmental coalition (eec) — a nonprofit organization focused on action, advocacy and education for environmental stewardship — has a shoreline protection program aimed at restoring the natural ecosystems of the lakeshore using nature-based solutions. the organization has used successful strategies of green infrastructure like building dunes, planting native plants and removing invasive ones to mitigate erosion. eec, in conjunction with the loyola university student environmentalist alliance, has planted 300 native grasses and 1,500 marram grass stolons that act as anchors that strengthen dunes across the shore.

natural solutions can often be more cost effective, visually in tune with the natural landscape and equally as durable as traditional gray infrastructure like the concrete ground and walls that make up most of the chicago shoreline, according to eec advisory board member john laswick. he said the main goal of the organization is to reestablish dunes, which are nature’s original protection system.

“what we do is go out every last sunday of the month in the summertime and pull out invasive plants, pick up trash, plant new grasses to extend the dune plantings because if you don’t have the sand anchored with grasses and trees, then it’s just gonna blow away or wash away,” laswick said.

while the organization focuses on dunes and native plants, they also promote other natural resources to combat erosion.

natural solutions to erosion

1. beach nourishment and restoration: replenishing eroded beaches with sediment like sand to protect against wave energy.
2. dune restoration and protection: stabilizing dunes with plants and shrubs to help them last longer and protect the land against erosion.
3. natural shorelines: adding vegetation, oyster reefs and aquatic vegetation to trap sediment and diminish wave energy effects.
4. green infrastructure: adding green infrastructure in urban areas to manage stormwater runoff, like permeable pavement to retain and filter stormwater.
5. coastal vegetation management: adding and preserving native grasses, shrubs, and trees to anchor sediment.
6. integrated coastal zone management: using an integrated approach to coastal management by understanding the interaction of land, water and human activities. 

friends of the parks (fotp), which provided the seed grant that enables eec’s stewardship services along the shore, is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting chicago’s lakefront and ensuring an equitable, ecological park system. they have enacted policy changes — such as partnering with the state and chicago park district to implement the illinois clean harbors program — and educate local residents on park stewardship. 

gin kilgore, interim executive director of fotp, is a former resident of hyde park, a south side neighborhood a few miles from the lakeshore. she says she grew up observing the power of lake michigan to batter the shoreline during big storms, which she notes are more frequent and intense in recent years due to climate change. during long runs along the lakefront she has seen the limitations of “gray infrastructure” to protect against erosion, such as crumbling sidewalks in front of the calumet beach fieldhouse.

fotp is closely monitoring the u.s. army corps of engineers’ general reevaluation report (grr), a study that will evaluate the risk of flooding, erosion and storm damage along lake michigan’s coast in areas of chicago. the study, cost-shared with the city of chicago and the chicago park district, is set to be completed in 2025, at which time solutions will be shared to combat these issues.

according to kilgore, the corps’ mandate is to use the lowest-cost solutions, prioritizing the highest property values. 

“do we only measure cost in terms of how much it costs to put down the concrete? okay, maybe that’s cheap. but, what’s the cost of compromising habitats, or what’s the cost of human access to the lake?” kilgore said. 

fotp also sees the study as an opportunity to complete chicago’s lakefront parks and paths system which currently falls short two miles at both the north and south ends, due in part to private properties that hug the shoreline, kilgore said. creating a buffer between the buildings and water’s edge provides flood protection and allows for public use.

eec also wants to ensure that the report’s proposed solutions are nature-based, and are raising awareness of their work to influence the army corps’ approach.

“a huge part of what is physically chicago and culturally chicago is this lakefront and these parks and the lakeshore drive, and these decisions [about the shore] are going to have an effect for decades,” laswick said. “we got to get started on the right path.”