SUN-B11: When the Shoreline Can’t Hold: Rethinking Resilience at the Water’s Edge

Sunday, October 12, 2025

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM CT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Speaker(s)

Despo Thoma, AICP (she/her/hers)

Director of Resilience
SCAPE Landscape Architecture
New York, New York
Kaleen Juarez, ASLA, PLA

Director
SCAPE Landscape Architecture DPC
New York, New York
Alexander Creem, WEDG

Project Director
New York City Economic Development Corporation
Brooklyn, New York

As our climate crisis deepens, relying on coastal protection is no longer viable. Instead, adaptation and retreat of the shoreline are emerging as critical solutions. This session explores case studies from Boston, San Francisco, and New York that challenge the “hold the line” mindset, offering proactive solutions for resilient waterfronts.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand how the evolving climate crisis requires a shift in resilience planning from traditional coastal protection to integrated approaches of adaptation and retreat.
Explore real-world case studies demonstrating how proactive, design-driven strategies can challenge the “hold the line” mindset and promote long-term coastal resilience.
Learn how to balance technical resilience solutions with social and cultural considerations to ensure long-term, sustainable, and equitable outcomes for waterfront projects.
Gain insights into how strategic shoreline retreat, coupled with adaptation, can offer sustainable and cost-effective solutions for resilient waterfronts.