In 2016, a series of workshops were held to discuss living shorelines in Southern
California. The workshops specifically focused on the unique benefits, challenges and
opportunities for implementing living shorelines in the region, and the nexus between
nature-based solutions and ongoing local adaptation planning. Approximately 140
participants partook in these dialogues, and some of the key themes that emerged
include:
Letting nature do the work for you
Designing for the future
Integrating nature into shoreline management projects
Project goals distinguishing living shorelines
Engineering and urban living shorelines
Space constraints along urban coastlines
Permitting pathways to support demonstration projects
Living shorelines and phased sea level rise planning
Designing with watersheds and sediment management in mind
Exploring emerging commercial opportunities
Public access and project success
Planning for living shorelines alongside the community
Sharing monitoring and best practices to ensure future success
Citizen science and socio-ecological monitoring
The workshops provided the first ever opportunity for Southern California stakeholders
to outline what is unique about designing living shorelines in the context of Southern
California shorelines for state and federal entities.
