Other alternatives are emerging to adapt cities to this new situation. In 2014, the ONE Prize Award architectural contest asked the entrants to work on the concept of storm-proof cities, a proof among others that architects, designers and local communities are now fully committed to creating seaside towns that respect the coastal environment and are resilient to assaults by the oceans. Certain coastal mega-cities, such as Miami, even have their own Chief Resilience Officers.

In the United States again, groups of architects are working with local communities to co-design public spaces, buildings, energy systems and drinking water systems, following the damages caused by hurricane Sandy, with the goal to reduce their vulnerability and to enable them to survive such events. One example is the Resilient Long Island operation, a precursor of the adaptability of the coastal cities of the future. In Rotterdam, where much of the city is below sea level, the city authorities are looking into the creation of water plazas, or public parks capable of absorbing and retaining water in the event of a flood, thereby protecting the city centre.

Disasters can also be countered by using the capacities of nature. The city of Padang on Sumatra is currently hosting Kogami, a coral forest project designed by the architect Ben Devereau. By stimulating the development of coral reefs on recycled containers immersed in the sea, the city will be able to reduce the force of tsunamis.

The combination of these increasingly numerous initiatives gives rise to the idea of a blue urbanism, which is the essential companion of the green urbanism of sustainable development. As cities all over the world become major players in the fight against climate change, coastal cities could well pioneer the reinvention of our relationship with the oceans and the natural world.

All over the planet, the growth of coastal urban zones is outstripping that of other cities.

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