Urban archipelago for climate change adaptation: the next phase of landmaking in Boston

Abstract

Coastal cities all over the world are threatened by sea level rise caused by global climate change. Boston is one of them that desires to seek innovative sea level rise adaptation strategies. This thesis provides a new, operational strategy that changes the relationship between water and the city, extending the legacy of Boston’s own landfill history while effecting and representing Boston’s contemporary needs and characteristics. By adapting theoretical strategies and precedents, as applied to Boston’s historic and existing urban context, this proposal recommends a site-specific combination of landform cutting, filling and connecting strategies to South Boston Waterfront as a test site. Through these strategies, South Boston Waterfront would become a new urban archipelago that adapts with further incremental sea level rise and provides a vibrant and high-performance waterfront infrastructure and environment.