Harvard GSD Project on Southwest Florida and Sea Level, Collier County, Naples, Marco Island & Everglades City

Background:
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (HGSD) recently launched the Harvard GSD Project on South Florida and Sea Level, a multi-year study of the impacts of and potential responses to sea level rise for coastal communities in South Florida.  The research project will study the implications of rising sea levels on the economy/lifestyles, ecology, infrastructure, and land use.  The first study involves a 2 ½ year multi-county area under the leadership of the City of Miami Beach that commenced in 2015.

Harvard Proposal: A Harvard proposal was submitted on May 21, 2016 for a 2 ½ year study on the entire County Coastline, Naples, Marco and Everglades City for the most probable impacts and mitigations associated with sea level rise and increased storm events between the present and 2100 with a budget of $350,000 that would be matched by a $150,000 of in-kind contributions by Harvard, for a total of $500,000. If full funding is in place by January 1, 2017 the project can start July, 2017.The four key thematic subtopics of the research will be:

1. Infrastructure including road networks, storm-water management, and utilities
2. Land Use with focus on coastline, land development patterns and land values
3. Ecology with focus on environmental, habitat and species implications
4. Recreation, with a focus on coastal beaches and leisure amenities.

The Principal Investigator is Professor Charles Waldheim, 
Nader Ardalan, Senior Project Advisor