The latest example of a coastal city designing urban resilience as both amenity and infrastructure—a plan to build Venice-style canals in Boston.
A report released earlier this week by the Urban land Institute Boston/New England chapter "suggests that building canals through the Back Bay neighborhood would help it withstand water levels that could rise as much as 7 feet by 2100," according to an article by Casey Ross.
"Some roads and public alleys, such as Clarendon Street, could be turned into narrow waterways, the report suggests, allowing the neighborhood to absorb the rising sea with clever engineering projects that double as public amenities."
The canal plan is one of a number of solutions proposed by the report, albeit an imaginative one. According to Ross, "[in] addition to considering canals and higher sea walls, the group called on municipalities to discuss ways to raise money to prepare vulnerable areas and alter building and zoning rules to make way for inevitable flooding."
The article is an excellent primer on the expected impacts of sea-level rise on Boston as well as the kind of public benefits that might be delivered by designing and building creative solutions to adapt coastal cities for the coming changes.
FULL STORY: Report offers ideas for a Boston beset by rising seas

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
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Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
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LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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