Stantec Environmental

Kaija, Lauren A.

Student Work

Stantec Environmental

Public

Climate Ready Boston (CRB) began the work of assessing the impact of climate change on the City of Boston in 2016 by looking at the effects of increased temperatures, precipitation, storms, and Sea Level Rise (SLR). The work pertaining to SLR was conducted in anticipation of 36” of SLR by the year 2070. It is expected that new projections set to be released soon will show that Boston will experience 48” of SLR by 2070 instead of 36”. This team was tasked with assessing the effects of the additional foot of SLR on an area of the City. The team evaluated vulnerable neighborhoods within Boston, and then narrowed the scope of the project to focus on one area that will be impacted by the increase. The team created a GIS model reflecting the additional SLR effects in the neighborhood of East Boston, calculated the additional costs associated with the new prediction, and conceptually designed flood barriers to protect vulnerable residents in Boston. An additional community survey and workshop were conducted to inform and allow for discussion among residents within East Boston about sea level rise and future City projects. Further research was done on international approaches to sea level rise protection measures and recommendations were made for future projects and planning efforts in Boston.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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