Salty Urbanism Miami, FL

In an inevitable future of sea level rise and climate change, a new framework for urban design and architecture that embeds ecosystem services and adjusts to increasingly salty landscapes will emerge as the only viable adaptation solution in South Florida. The porous limestone substrate poses particular challenges unlike any other coastal location in the United States, where levees, walls, and pumps are not long term solutions as water seeps up through the ground. Due to South Florida’s unique geomorphology, it floods four ways, three are known; 1) storm surge, 2) ground water table fluctuation (wet/dry seasons), 3) extreme rainfall events, and a fourth is emerging, 4) sea level rise. These dynamic and permanent flood states will radically alter the built environment more than anything else over the next 100 years.

Salty Urbanism, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

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