Marine Urbanism: The Impact of Sea Level Rise on the Identity of Future Cities of the Bahamas

Abstract

As the reality of climate change continues to augment the dangers of flooding and sea level rise in the world today, it is imperative that innovative methods of adaptive urbanization be considered to sustain the earth's growing populations. This paper presents an exploration into a dynamic form of urban implementation that may present a new frontier for resilience in future cities built in The Bahamas. Interviews conducted with locals, inclusive of educators, researchers, architects and government officials help to assess the effectiveness of current flood prevention strategies and measure public interest for marine living and its opportunities. Recent articles along with the data from local sources such as newspapers and online news organizations provide data that paint a narrative for the need of resilient urban implementation. Scientific literature and case studies reveal the exclusive advantages that maritime urban environments present for resiliency, social, and economic stability. The goal of this paper is to illustrate how a floating urban setting can not only neutralize the flood threat to future cities built in the Bahamas but also increase their capacity for economic improvement and sustainability.