They will allow the creation of new green areas and increase the potential of the waterfront for recreation and tourism. They will also help to improve the climate, biodiversity and health. The parks will be developed on large floating structures made of composite materials which cost 25 to 30% less than regular steel solutions.
How can the working port of Boston be preserved and reinvigorated under the continually increasing pressure to give a new use to waterfront sites? Two documents have been produced by Boston Harbour Now, based on discussions with experts and stakeholders, which define recommendations on how to respond to four challenges: growth, synergy, flexibility and change. These recommendations also evolved after the participation of Jill Valdes (Boston Harbour Now) in the AIVP World Conference in Quebec.
Since June 2018, around twenty workshops and forums have been organised to present the plan to residents and business leaders. The aim is to prime them for the fight against climate change and rising water levels at the waterfront, and to gauge responses and suggestions. Long Beach joins over a dozen other US cities in adopting a plan of this kind, which includes measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt buildings on the waterfront, etc. The approach is of course in line with goals 1 and 2 from AIVP’s 2030 Agenda.