Beaches

People sunbathing and hanging out on concrete seawall and sandy beach on Lake Superior in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago residents love their 'concrete beach'

A concrete seawall is a popular swimming and sunbathing location for locals.

July 21, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

Malibu Zuma Beach

LA’s ‘Living Shorelines’ Get $5.1M Boost

L.A. County is investing in dune restoration and nature-based shoreline projects at Zuma, Redondo, and Dockweiler beaches to protect the coast and keep beaches accessible for communities.

September 1, 2025 - Santa Monica Daily Press

Aerial view of Manhattan Beach pier.

Los Angeles County Secures Funding for Beach Protection

L.A. County is getting a $1 million grant from the California Ocean Protection Council to develop a Regional Coastal Strategic Adaptation Plan to protect its beaches from climate change impacts while prioritizing equitable access and sustainability.

December 24, 2024 - Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors

Aerial view of Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach, California on the Pacific Ocean.

LA County Plans for Coastal Erosion

The Board of Supervisors says a proposal to build ‘living shorelines’ will help save the county’s beaches from erosion as coastal storms grow stronger.

November 13, 2023 - Los Angeles Daily News

Aerial view of Marina del Rey, California, the world's second largest man-made marina

Reimagining Marina del Rey

Los Angeles County is conducting a community needs assessment and planning effort to re-envision and remove barriers to accessing Marina del Rey as a vibrant waterfront destination for all.

June 28, 2023 - Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors

A house has been swept into the Atlantic Ocean by high tides, leaving ruins in onshore as the house appears half submerged by water,

Homes Swept Into the Ocean in North Carolina—the Latest Reminder of Climate Change’s Arrival

A viral video is drawing attention to sea-level rise in one of the most at-risk shorelines in the nation: the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

May 18, 2022 - The New York Times

beach Parking

The Inequities of Beach Access

Over 80% of Californians live within an hour’s drive of a beach, but that does not mean that everyone has easy access to beaches.

July 15, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Pacific Ocean Beaches

Study: Oahu Could Lose 40 Percent of its Beaches by 2050

A new study calls for changes to coastal management policies to better protect sandy shorelines retreating under the pressure of rising sea levels.

September 28, 2020 - The Honolulu Star Advertiser

Pacific Ocean Beaches

Imagine Honolulu Without its Beaches

Beaches and parks on Oahu are closed to the public once again as the city attempts to control the spread of COVID-19.

August 11, 2020 - The Honolulu Star Advertiser

Manhattan

Designs Revealed for Manhattan's First Public Beach

A designer was chosen in January, and conceptual rendering were released in July. Project boosters are also pushing an ambitious timeline that would start construction in late 2020.

July 30, 2019 - Curbed New York

Balboa Peninsula

Beachfront Residences Can't Extend Yards Onto Public Beaches, CA Coastal Commission Decides

"It's like squatting by the rich," said one commissioner.

July 12, 2019 - The Orange County Register

Toxic Algae Bloom

Algae Bloom Shutting Down Mississippi Beaches

The Gulf Coast is facing the environmental threat of algae blooms that cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

July 9, 2019 - The Houston Chronicle

Florida Beach

Did Humans Exacerbate the Red Tide Devastating Florida's Beaches?

A particularly devastating red tide is ravaging the southwest Florida coast. The question of whether humans have caused the intensity of the event is still up for debate, according to this article.

August 11, 2018 - National Geographic

In New Jersey, Beach Parking Located Right on the Sand

This summer, the seashore town of Wildwood is charging a fee for people with the right cars to park in a very convenient location.

June 11, 2018 - The New York Times

Point Dume

Landowners Restrict Access to California Beach

A homeowners group has successfully moved to severely limit public access to the beaches of Hollister Ranch, a 14,500-acre parcel to the west of Santa Barbara.

June 1, 2018 - The Los Angeles Times

Rockaway Beach Bus

Memorial Day Buzzkill: Popular Stretch of Rockaway Beach Closed Indefinitely

New York City hasn't been able to keep the beach from eroding.

May 26, 2018 - The New York Times

Warning restrictions

Getting Creative to Reduce (or Increase) Beach Access

Communities and municipalities have deployed a surprisingly creative menu of policies to increase or restrict access to beaches. The Public trust doctrine, it turns out, is in the eye of the beach-holder.

August 29, 2017 - Next City

King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh

'Economic Cities,' Saudi Arabia's Mega Projects

Saudi Arabia's government has made huge investments in the hopes of building new cities and districts to attract investment and tourism, despite past failures.

August 21, 2017 - Bloomberg

Closed Beach

Making the Coast Accessible for Black and Latino Californians

A history of segregation and other barriers have made California's beaches and oceanfront disproportionately white.

July 10, 2017 - High Country News

Point Dume

Coastal Erosion Could Devastate Southern California Beaches

Researchers from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have produced a model of coastal erosion based on the impacts of expected sea level rise by the end of the century.

March 29, 2017 - USGS

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

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