‘Living With Water’: Facing Climate Change, Cities Trade Sea Walls for Parks

Photo: A firefighter wades through Boston floodwater earlier this year. Under a new plan, the city would allow the rising water to come in to the city, rather than fighting to keep it out. Michael Dwyer/The Associated Press

To protect itself from a devastating flood, Boston was considering building a massive sea wall, cutting north to south through nearly 4 miles of Boston Harbor, taking $11 billion and at least 30 years to build. But a new plan unveiled in October represents a 180-degree turn: Instead of fighting to keep the water out, the city is letting it come in.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, a Democrat, announced the city would be scrapping the idea of a sea wall in favor of, among other things, a system of waterfront parks and elevation of some flood-prone areas. The city will add 67 new acres of green space along the water and restore 122 tidal acres.

The idea is to give people access to the shoreline when the weather is nice, but when the parks get flooded — well, it’s not that big of a deal.

As climate change forces cities to grapple with rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms, coastal cities must prepare for a […]

Full article: ‘Living With Water’: Facing Climate Change, Cities Trade Sea Walls for Parks

More on climate change impacts:

Climate change endangers half the world’s groundwater supply

‘Like a Terror Movie’: How Climate Change Will Cause More Simultaneous Disasters

The Water Crises Aren’t Coming—They’re Here

We’re in a global water crisis. It’s time to turn to nature

Severe Global Water Cycle Shifts Due to Abrupt Climate Change

The Seafloor Is Dissolving Because of Climate Change

Study: most-accurate climate change models predict most-alarming outcomes