FRI-D05: Hurricane Resilience on the Gulf Coast: Two Parks Meeting the Challenge

Friday, October 10, 2025

3:45 PM - 5:00 PM CT

Location: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room R02-R03

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, NY/HSW, FL

Speaker(s)

Zachary Chrisco, Hon. ASLA

Principal Civil Engineer
Sasaki
Boston, Massachusetts
Matt Leavell, LEED AP

Owner
Leavell Design Consulting, LLC
Homewood, Alabama
Susannah Ross, ASLA

Director
Agency Landscape + Planning
Cambridge, Massachusetts

This session will delve into best practices for park design in the Gulf Coast region through the lenses of the award-winning projects The Bay Sarasota and Gulf State Park, exploring solutions for creating resilient, sustainable—but also vibrant—public spaces that can withstand the challenges of climate change.

Learning Outcomes:

Explain the principles of resilient park design in the context of the Gulf Coast, including key environmental and social factors.
Identify nature-based storm resilience strategies and their role in mitigating climate impacts on coastal parks.
Analyze opportunities for community education and engagement in the development of resilient open spaces.
Evaluate real-world examples of parks that successfully integrate environmental and economic resilience strategies.