Landscapecoastal

Landscapecoastal is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the design, management, and restoration of landscapes in coastal environments. It draws on landscape architecture, coastal ecology, geomorphology, urban planning, and environmental engineering to create spaces that are functional, aesthetically coherent, and resilient to coastal processes and hazards.

The scope encompasses both natural and built environments along coastlines, including beaches, dunes, wetlands, estuaries, mangroves, tidal marshes, coral reefs, harborfronts, and accompanying public spaces. Practitioners work to balance ecological integrity with human uses such as recreation, tourism, housing, and infrastructure protection.

Key objectives include preserving biodiversity, reducing erosion and flood risk, maintaining public access, supporting climate-adaptive livelihoods, and ensuring the longevity of coastal infrastructure. Design strategies favor soft or nature-based solutions where feasible, such as dune restoration, wetland creation, living shorelines, and native vegetation planting, paired with engineered elements like permeable surfaces, boardwalks, and carefully located barriers. The goal is to work with natural sediment transport, tidal flushing, and storm surge dynamics rather than against them.

The process typically involves site assessment and modeling, stakeholder engagement, scenario planning, design development, construction, and long-term monitoring with adaptive management. Projects often integrate water management, habitat restoration, and community use planning to create resilient, multifunctional landscapes.

Challenges in landscapecoastal practice include rising sea levels, intensified storms, limited funding, regulatory complexity, balancing conservation with public access, and ongoing maintenance. Real-world applications range from coastal town renewals and harborfront revitalizations to living shorelines and dune or wetland restoration initiatives.