Scientific research indicates sea levels worldwide have been rising at a rate of 0.14 inches per year since the early 1990s. This trend, linked to global warming, puts thousands of coastal cities and even whole islands at risk of being claimed by the ocean. Boston, as a coastal city in the US, is also threated by the rising sea level.

 

The impact of rising sea levels will start from the shore and further expands to the urban area and aquifer. This design is a trial, to test the new shoreline’s enhanced future use in the Boston Bay area.

 

Using ecological methods creates a natural buffer by converting the hard concrete edge to a soft vegetated buffer. The shoreline will become a riparian corridor that incorporates many features: a created wetland and a grassy waterway. This not only enhances the aesthetics of the city and will draw more people to the waterfront, who will enjoy the beauty of new shoreline, but also it can mitigate the shoreline erosion and relieve the rising sea levels. Another strategy is to encourage oyster reef restoration. Cultivating all the waste shells from restaurants and putting them back into the sea, to become an oyster reef, diminishing the rising sea level issue. Oyster reefs are a crucial element of the underwater ecosystem, because they filter nutrients from our estuaries, and maintain our Harbor’s rich natural resource areas. Furthermore, oysters not only purify our water, but also act as shoreline buffers that dissipate wave energy.

 

The redesigned pier and shoreline will become a doubly beneficial project, by dissolving the boundaries between land and sea. This makes the project an accessible waterfront place, by providing beautiful scenery and an educational opportunity for all people. These benefits are in addition to the primary goal of reducing rising sea levels.