Responding to Sea-Level Rise

Monday, Feb 03, 2020

The measurable changes in sea-level rise – and the scientific projections of its increase within the next 30 years – present immense challenges to our notions of living and continuing to develop in South Florida’s flood zones and coastal communities. Rising tides mean the big questions of resilience, sustainability and adaptability need to be answered now.

Jeffrey Huber, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, MLA, is the Interim Director and Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at Florida Atlantic University. He recently sat down with WPTV-25 News in West Palm Beach to talk about the concept of “Salty Urbanism” and how it can provide an adaptation framework for South Florida development so it can become more resilient and sustainable in the wake of rising seas.

“The built environment that we see in South Florida right now is only 50 percent of what will exist in 2050. How and where are going to build?” Huber said. “We could become a leader in the United States for living with water, but right now, we don’t have the building codes and long-range planning in place.”

Watch the full news segment with journalist Michael Williams and Florida Senator Lori Berman on WPTV’s To the Point.