Rising sea level is forcing the city of Miami Beach to plan for and implement measures to save infrastructure and mitigate flooding.
The city is already experiencing the impact of fair weather flooding during full-moon high tides when salt water seeps into storm drains and onto streets and sidewalks. Miami has the greatest total value of real estate assets exposed to flooding of any city in the world—more than $400 billion.
Two large pumping stations have already gone online, a move that has alleviated flooding in one part of Miami Beach. The city’s engineer wants to raise the lowest-lying streets on the west side of the island. Once they’re two feet higher, streets and sidewalks in many places will loom above the doorways of existing buildings, pouring water into them when it rains.
In the long run these measures will be unable to prevent the inevitable, according to climatologists. Before the turn of the century, the most pessimistic forecasters say that Miami and surrounding Dade County will be nothing more than an archipelago similar to the present day Florida Keys. At that point, the Keys will be fully submerged, experts predict.
Related Stories
Seismic Design | Oct 22, 2015
Taipei 101 tower named 'world's toughest' building by Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics named the 10 structures that best withstand floods, winds, storms, and earthquakes.
BIM and Information Technology | Oct 19, 2015
New web tool from MIT organizes human movement in interactive graphs
Users can explore the mobile phone activities in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong.
Smart Buildings | Oct 8, 2015
Brookings announces the Bass Initiative on Innovation and Placemaking
The think tank's goal is to stress public spaces, urban economies, and inclusive growth in city building.
Smart Buildings | Sep 28, 2015
Architects Foundation issues first annual report on National Resilience Initiative
The report, which includes the work of three schools, examines how architects work with communities through the National Resilience Design Network.
Smart Buildings | Sep 4, 2015
New York City allots $100 million for storm resiliency infrastructure in lower Manhattan
Part of $20 billion plan for the city.
Smart Buildings | Aug 26, 2015
Under, over, through: Reinventing spaces under elevated infrastructure
Activating the areas beneath elevated highways, rail lines, and freeways can create unique environments, writes SmithGroupJJR's Valerie Berstene.
Smart Buildings | Aug 21, 2015
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes offers plan to strengthen codes for disaster resilience
Some states losing ground on resilience, group says
Cultural Facilities | Aug 19, 2015
Proposed “High Line” in Mexico City pays homage to Aztec aqueduct
Plans for Mexico City’s elevated park include an amphitheatre and al fresco cafés.
Smart Buildings | Aug 5, 2015
8 cities win Bloomberg's 'open data' award
The competition, called "What Works Cities," promotes innovation in city government by making the massive amounts of city operations data more publicly accessible to better improve issues like job creation, public health, and blight.
Smart Buildings | Jul 27, 2015
Perkins+Will imagines new opportunity for Atlantic City
The architecture giant believes it has a solution that could put Atlantic City’s existing infrastructure to good use—by turning the Jersey Shore city into a research center for climate change and coastal resiliency.