'An ongoing dance between land and sea' | One Waterfront panel explores green solutions for waterfront cities
Resilient waterfront park projects from Bangkok to Boston were spotlighted in a recent panel discussion hosted by The Trustees Boston Waterfront Initiative, One Waterfront.
Moderated by Boston Society of Landscape Architects Executive Director Gretchen Rabinkin, the panel welcomed Michael Grove, Sasaki Principal and Chair of Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Ecology; Kotchakorn Voraakhom, CEO and Founder of Landprocess and the Porous City Network; and Dr. Indrani Ghosh, Weston & Sampson Resiliency Technical Leader.
The discussion began with a local grounding in Boston, before branching out into international examples of green solutions for waterfront cities. The event was the second in a “Building One Waterfront” speaker series, supported by presenting sponsor TD Bank through the TD Ready Commitment.
“Boston is a city shaped by the sea, a natural port protected from the ocean by many harbor islands,” said Rabinkin. “Boston has over three centuries of big public works at the water’s edge. Because we were so protected we’ve built very close to that water...in an ongoing dance between land and sea. As many of you know much of what we now call land, at least in Boston’s downtown, was not land originally. Projected future maps of Boston look a lot like the colonial ones. Much of the land that was filled over the centuries will soon flood as sea levels rise. And, as in many cities and towns, flooding will come from storm water or rain events too, not only from the ocean.”
Together panelists examined these challenges in Boston and abroad—showcasing some of the innovative projects and designs helping to adapt communities to these challenges, including in Wuhan, China; the Saigon riverfront in Ho-Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and in Bangkok, Thailand.
“We all know Boston is one of many capital cities around the world facing problems with water—definitely my hometown, Bangkok,” noted Voraakhom, who joined the discussion from Bangkok. “Flooding is not a new thing. We used to live with it, but with very heavy development we have to rethink how we are going to live with the water once again.”
In addition to the resilience considerations of open space and waterfront parks, panelists discussed the opportunities for public engagement and biodiversity in these landscapes, and concerns around making them equitable and welcoming spaces.
“We’re grateful to our moderator and panelists for the thoughtful discussion around a challenge being faced by waterfront cities around the world,” said Nick Black, Managing Director of The Trustees Boston Waterfront Initiative. “As we work to help adapt our local waterfront to the challenges of a changing climate, it is very valuable to see how other cities and teams are adapting. In the next event hosted by our Initiative, we are welcoming the public to learn more about the design process for Piers Park III in East Boston and share questions and feedback, on January 12 (held in English) or January 13 (held in Spanish).”
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Hosted by One Waterfront, the series is supported by presenting sponsor TD Bank through the TD Ready Commitment (td.com/tdreadycommitment).
Learn more about the speaker series here: https://onewaterfront.thetrustees.org/speaker-series
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