Living on the Edge Webinar Series
Increased flooding, sea level rise, storm surge, and changing heat conditions have communities across South Carolina scare struggling to adapt to a new reality. The Charleston region’s ability to meet the myriad demands of the future will rely in part on the real estate industry and public sector’s abilities to foster collaboration and work across jurisdictional and professional boundaries to seek viable solutions to what may be one of the world’s greatest challenges: climate change. Understanding both the economic and physical implications of climate and environmental vulnerabilities are essential components to addressing climate and economic resilience in the region. This is more important than ever with massive infrastructure projects in the design pipeline that might have major ramifications for the region’s economy and natural habitats.
ULI South Carolina and the ULI Urban Resilience program invite you to participate in this 5 part web-based series to develop a deep understanding of the current practice for assessing and mitigating climate risk in real estate and land use along the South Carolina coast and to learn from best practices across the industry.
The goal of the Living on the Edge series is to engage the Charleston real estate community in the conversation underway in other coastal communities and to provide participants the opportunity to:
- Build a network amongst developers, land use professionals, climate experts, and other practitioners who are adapting to climate risk and future proofing projects and investments.
- Develop an awareness of the magnitude that the threat of climate change and sea level rise pose on the market and the infrastructure and land use policy decision making required to be resilient.
- Offer a forum to discuss local and national resources, tools, and best practices in climate resilience amongst the development community and adjacent professions.
- Motivate action amongst the real estate and land use sectors to make the Charleston market a leader amongst coastal markets in terms of resilience action.
The Living on the Edge Series Sessions
| Episode | Date/Time (ET) | Title | Speakers | Recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept 30th 10:00 – 11:30am | Living on the Edge: Climate Risk and Real Estate in the Charleston Region | Frank Hefner, College of Charleston; Paul Patrick, College of Charleston; Leah Sheppard, ULI Urban Resilience; Jack Smith, Nelson Mullins; Greg West, ZOM Living; and Mark Wilbert, City of Charleston | Link |
| 2 | Oct 7th 10:00 – 11:00am | Life on the Edge: What You Need to Know About Climate Change & Sea Level Rise | William Sweet, NOAA; Norm Levine, College of Charleston; Elizabeth Fly, The Nature Conservancy; and Janice Barnes, Climate Adaptation Partners | Link |
| 3 | Oct 22nd 10:00 – 11:30am | Adaptation on the Edge: Learning from National Best Practices in Coastal Resilience | Keith Bowers, BioHabitats; Kate Collignon, HR&A; Guy Hagstette, Buffalo Bayou, Houston, TX; Tess Howard, VP Community Development & Planning, Alys Beach, FL; and Steve Dudash, Thomas & Hutton | Link |
| 4 | Oct 27th 10:00 – 11:30am | Embracing & Respecting the Edge: A Path Forward in the Lowcountry | Dan Battista, LOWE; Dan Doyle, The Beach Company; Miller Harper, East West Partners; Michael Maher, Westedge; Mike Shuler, King Street Partners; and Mike Schwarz, Woodfield | Link |
| 5 | Nov 12th 10:00 – 11:00am | Investing in the Edge: A Changing Financial Landscape | Yoon Kim, Four Twenty Seven; Laura Craft, Heitman; and Janice Barnes, Climate Adaptation Partners | Recording forthcoming. |
Registration
Episode 1: Living on the Edge: Climate Risk and Real Estate in the Charleston Region is free to all. To register click here. Registration links for episodes 2-5 are forthcoming.
Please email [email protected] if you are interested for the time being.
Background
The Charleston region is home to over 700,000 people and is continuing to grow thanks to a strong economy, well known historic fabric, and coastal location. However, sea level rise and related flood risks endanger Charleston and the Low County’s economic, social, and physical well-being. A 2018 analysis shows that many of the area’s homes (about 16,000) will flood at least 26 times a year if sea level reaches 2 feet by 2045, which can be devastating to many residents as their homes are typically their largest asset. The historic district is an important economic engine for the region, bringing in 7.3 million visitors and $8 billion in tourism-related economic activity in 2018. The region’s network of transportation, tourism, education, and institutional systems rely on the continuity of critical facilities and infrastructure and their ability to survive chronic flood risk. Maintaining aging infrastructure with the hopes to deter failures during both extreme and tidal events are over encumbering local municipal budgets, potentially deterring their ability to think innovatively about future-proofing the region.
By convening a multidisciplinary group, made up of members of the business community, public sector, and non-profit foundations, the ULI Living on the Edge series will unpack this complex issue for a broad industry audience and build the business case for resilient decision making in this new reality. With presentations and facilitated discussions, the series will hopefully propel climate related conversations forward and empower residents and stakeholders to take action to enhance their climate resilience.
Thank you to the Program Committee
Many thanks to the ULI SC Urban Resilience Program Committee members Jack Smith, Nelson Mullins, Steve Dudash, Thomas & Hutton, Diana Permar, Permar, Inc., Jim Hamilton, Kimley Horn, Erin Stevens, Surculus and Mark Wilbert, City of Charleston.
Resources
Army Corps of Engineers – Charleston Peninsula Study
Urban Land Institute – Developing Urban Resilience Website
10 Principles for Building Resilience Report
NOAA Office for Coastal Management – Digital Coast