Resilient Shores: Uniting Natural, Artificial, and Collective Intelligence for Coastal Futures

Global experts in climate science, architecture, technology, and policy will gather at the Venice Architecture Biennale for a two-day workshop, Resilient Shores: Coastal Futures Through Natural, Artificial, and Collective Intelligence, on October 28-29.

In the face of rising seas and accelerating climate extremes, coastlines become living laboratories for adaptation. This workshop, convened by leading organizations including the Decade Coordination Office (DCO) on Connecting People and the Ocean, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change), and the UN Decade Collaborative Center for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR), explores how nature-based solutions (natural intelligence), AI and technology (artificial intelligence and digital twins), and community-based wisdom and creativity (collective intelligence) can converge to reimagine resilient coastal habitats.

The multidisciplinary event aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical application, targeting an audience of scientists, Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), educators, architects, and urban planners.

Driving Collaborative Action for the Ocean Decade

A core objective of the two-day gathering is the joint development of a major global initiative: the Coastal Resilience ECOPs Worldwide Project (CREW). This project, submitted for endorsement from the UN Ocean Decade of Science for Sustainable Development, focuses on establishing a global network of Early Career Ocean Professionals dedicated to Ocean Literacy and Citizen Science across more than 130 GlobalCoast Pilot Sites. The session dedicated to this project’s further development and expansion will be guided and moderated by Naka Kondo (The Economist).

Featured Speakers and Case Studies

The workshop will feature keynote presentations setting the scene for the three pillars of intelligence:

·        Natural Intelligence: Timothy Beatley (University of Virginia)

·        Collective Intelligence: Francesco Musco (IUAV)

·        Artificial Intelligence: Salvatore Causio (CMCC - DCC-CR)

Additionally, the program includes a presentation on the La Biennale Special Project AquaPraça by Andrea Cassi (Carlo Ratti Associati) and a look at critical case studies, including marine citizen science led by Viviana Piermattei (CMCC) and the Galicia case study by Manuel Rodriguez Lopez (Fundación RIA, Chipperfield Architects). The event will also feature insights from Francesca Santoro (IOC), Nadia Pinardi (University of Bologna / DCC-CR), and an opening address by Magdalena Landry (Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe).

The workshop format is designed to stimulate new ideas and culminate in a tangible project proposal that will contribute directly to global coastal resilience efforts.

Resilient shores will be held in the Speakers' Corner of the Architecture Biennale in Arsenale, Venice, from 11am to 5pm on October 28 and 11am-1pm on October 29. A ticket for the Biennale is required to participate. Tickets can be purchased here.

Agenda

DAY 1: October 28

Coastal resilience, natural and artificial intelligence

Opening address

11:00-11:10 Magdalena Landry, Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice, Italy

11:10-13:00 The three intelligences: setting the scene

Keynote speeches

11:10-11:30 Tim Beatley, University of Virginia - Natural Intelligence

11:30-11:50 Francesco Musco, IUAV - Collective Intelligence 

11:50-12:10 Salvatore Causio, CMCC/DCC-CR - Artificial Intelligence

La Biennale Special Project

12:10-12:30 Andrea Cassi, Carlo Ratti Associati - Special Project AquaPraça

Q&A

12:30-13:00 moderated by Francesca Santoro, UNESCO-IOC

13:00-15:00 break

Pitches - case studies

15:00-15:15 Viviana Piermattei, CMCC - Marine citizen science

15:15-15:30 Alessandra Pesaresi, Rimini Blue Lab - Outdoor Education in the Coastal Ocean

15:30-15:45 Manuel Rodriguez Lopez, Fundación RIA, Chipperfield Architects  - The Galicia case study

Q&A

15:45-16:00  

16:00-17:00

Introduction: The Ocean Decade, its endorsement process and the Coastal Resilience ECOPs Worldwide Project (CREW) - Nadia Pinardi, University of Bologna and UN Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR)

CREW project’s main goal: This project will establish a global network of Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) focused on Ocean Literacy and Citizen Science within the CoastPredict Programme. Led by ECOPs across over 130 GlobalCoast Pilot Sites, it fosters broad community engagement in addressing local coastal resilience challenges. Drawing on the expertise of over 50 ECOPs from more than 25 countries, it will compile a toolkit of OL and CS activities tailored for community engagement. 

DAY 2: October 29

Evolution of the Coastal Resilience ECOPs Worldwide (CREW) Project

Moderated by Naka Kondo, The Economist

11:00-11:40 Keynote speeches 

11:00 - 11:20 - Abe Woo, Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies, UniversitI Sains Malaysia -

Insights from the CREW project core writing team

11:20 - 11:40 Francesca Santoro, UNESCO-IOC - The White Paper on Challenge 10: Restoring society’s relationship with the ocean and the Theory of Change 2025-2030

11:40 - 12:45 Discussion panel on the evolution of the CREW project proposal: Renata

Archetti (University of Bologna), Francesca Santoro (UNESCO-IOC), Giovanni Coppini (CMCC), Salvatore Causio (CMCC), Maria Giovanna Stoppani (University of Palermo)

Open conversation with the audience and definition of next steps

12:45-13:00Closing remarks by organizers: UNESCO-IOC (Francesca Santoro), CMCC (Giovanni Coppini), DCC-CR (Federica Orsi)