Sustainability Education: The "R" Word, and How to Plan for an Elegant Retreat

Peter Papesch AIA will address the 'R' Word, i.e. retreating from Boston’s shorelines rather than putting up a few high walls which will be circumvented by storm surges. He will illustrate how the Boston economic engine will probably disintegrate completely unless a $50 to $80 billion seawall is erected between the shoulder areas of Swampscott and Cohasset. But that seemingly large amount is dwarfed when considering the $422 billion annual GDP of Boston’s Metro Economic Engine, the large numbers of people and businesses of the Metro Boston estuary, and the $80b of real estate of Boston alone. And he will raise the question of where might the residents, businesses and governments of Boston, Cambridge, Revere, Lynn and all the other seashore cities and towns within the Boston estuary consider moving to, and how upland communities might respond to this influx of immigrants fleeing sea level rise.

The event is co-sponsored by BSA COTE and the Urban Design Committee.