The climate emergency is one of the defining challenges of our times. It is already dramatically reshaping the Pacific Northwest landscape with flooding, extreme heat, and wildland fires. And these impacts disproportionately affect marginalized communities facing other forms of injustice. Recent projects that directly engage this issue are underscoring for us how landscape architects and planners are uniquely positioned to help address these impacts in creative, equitable, and place-based ways.
Walker Macy is committed to advancing climate justice. We are leading a Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy for the Duwamish Valley, focused on the historically underserved South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods of Seattle. In December 2022, a king tide and a low-pressure storm created an unprecedented flood that was not expected until 2050, demonstrating the vivid urgency of climate adaptation. We are working with local communities to co-create a vision for the shoreline that provides public access, habitat, and other community benefits, building resilience to current and future coastal flooding. Project manager and planner Saumya Kini recently shared about this work at the National Adaptation Forum in Minneapolis, and landscape architect Stefanie Loomis discussed the project on a panel with a City representative, resident, and an industrial business owner at the City Parks Alliance Greater & Greener conference in Seattle.
Designing for climate adaptation requires understanding the latest climate science. A new tool that illuminates local impacts of sea level rise is the USGS Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS), which creates detailed predictions of coastal flooding due to future sea level rise and storms. Climate adaptation planners from around Washington recently gathered at the Washington Coastal Hazards Resilience Network annual meeting in Olympia to learn about this tool. The model, which should be available for King County by 2025, will provide critical new data to support our climate resilient waterfront planning and design work throughout the Puget Sound.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, climate resilience is a significant priority in statewide planning initiatives. The Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities program is a new set of State rules focused on reducing climate pollution and promoting equitable land use planning, higher densities, less parking, and more options for people who walk, bike, and ride public transit. These rules have incredible potential to positively shape Oregon’s growth—for instance, in the City of Tigard as it plans for an innovative, carbon-responsible, and climate-resilient expansion in the River Terrace area. Walker Macy, with Cascadia Consulting Group, is leading the Climate Resilience Team for this unique community plan, creating climate goals grounded in the landscape and community and integrating resilience strategies in every aspect of the plan, including transportation, infrastructure, development, and parks.
The climate crisis requires all of us to work together to ensure a livable future for our families, our region and our planet. A climate-responsible approach is at the center of our firm’s planning and design work and we are inspired to engage new tools and programs in an endeavor that feels so urgent. We are energized by our collaborations with clients and partners in this vital work.
Note: The alternatives and associated images do not represent City of Seattle policy or proposals. The descriptions and associated images are intended to facilitate conversations with community, agencies and decision makers. This work will be refined over multiple phases including: further community engagement, technical and financial analysis; consultations with Tribes and agencies; permitting and environmental reviews; and City Mayoral and Council decisions.