Coastal cities and climate change adaptation
The first webinar of the Connecting People and Ocean Series by the Decade Coordination Office on Challenge 10
On February 20, 2025, the Ocean Decade Coordination Office (DCO) on Challenge 10 – Restoring Society’s Relationship with the Ocean – launched the webinar series “Connecting People and Ocean”, with the aim to enhance understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of ocean literacy while fostering the creation of new partnerships, projects, and activities aligned with the aims of the Ocean Decade, particularly those related to the Challenge 10.
You can watch the webinar again here in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese
The webinar started with an introduction by Ottavia Carlon (UNESCO-IOC) to set the stage and provide useful information to attendees about the Ocean Decade, the role of the DCO on Challenge 10, and the endorsement process for Decade Actions. It then featured presentations by two distinguished speakers and members of the DCO who explored case studies on how cities and urban planning professionals can adapt to ongoing coastal transformations.
Timothy Beatley, author of “The Promise of Ocean Cities” and Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia, USA, explored the concept of coastal cities by reflecting on how we perceive these spaces, introducing the idea of mental maps and the importance of fostering an emotional connection with the Ocean through visualization. The complex and ever-evolving relationships between coastal cities, their architectural development and their interactions with the Ocean set the stage for the second speaker, Michael Palmgren.
As Founder & Manager of the Marine Education Center in Malmö, Sweden, Michael Palmgren presented the transformative case of the city’s Marine Education Centre, showing how shallow waters have been revitalized in formerly-polluted local industrial basins like the South Wharf Basin. He also highlighted how cultivating a new ocean culture is key to reimagining urban landscapes, where green and blue spaces are seamlessly integrated into planning and development efforts.
During the two “dive deeper” parallel sessions that followed the presentations, different topics were explored, such as the role of alien species, the importance of sharing good practices that can be adapted to various contexts, and the need to understand why throughout history humanity has tended to construct certain types of mental maps rather than others. During these sessions, the speakers engaged in active dialogue with participants and provided several additional resources, which we share here:
Short films category:
- “Rewilding New York Harbor”
- “Gotham Whale”
- “Pier Into the Night“
- “Biophilic Wellington, NZ“
- Link to the Ocean Cities trailer
- Dropbox Link to Ocean Cities full-length film
Speakers’ presentations:
- Ottavia Carlon: The Ocean Decade, the role of the DCO on Challenge 10 and the endorsement process for Decade Actions
- Tim Beatley: The Promise of Ocean Cities
- Micheal Palmgren: Bringing the ocean back into the city
