Boston cherishes its historic buildings as integral elements of its built and cultural heritage. What can be done to prepare them for a new, wetter Boston? Recent storm surges turned the streets of the Fort Point Channel Landmark District into rivers and Atlantic Avenue into a sea of mini-icebergs, bringing home the reality of climate change. It’s no longer if or when, but now. Despite various discussions about the effects of climate change on the city, few organized, public conversations have broached how Boston’s unique historic resources need to contend with this new reality.

While some projects are solving the issue with unoccupied or and partially-filled lower levels,, there has been no discussion about how the historic structures themselves may fare when subject to increasingly regular flooding incidents.

Join a group of policy, design, and engineering experts for a dialogue about the challenges of stewardship in the era of climate change, necessary actions being taken, and the particular impacts historic buildings must address.

Moderator
Jean Carroon FAIA
principal, Design, Preservation and Sustainability
Goody Clancy

Panel
Matthew Bronski
principal
Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger

Brian Swett
director, Cities and Sustainable Real Estate
Arup

Sarah Slaughter
founder
Built Environment Coalition

This is a program of the Boston Preservation Alliance (BPA) and the Association for Preservation Technology Northeast Chapter (APTNE), hosted by the Boston Society of Architects/AIA (BSA), and sponsored by John Canning Co, Haley & Aldrich, and Architectural Heritage Foundation.