Coastal Sector Planning Guides
This tab includes guides to help practitioners conduct vulnerability assessments and develop adaptation plans for the coastal sector.
Resources are automatically presented by rating, but can be sorted by date or title. Apply additional filters to narrow the list by impact, jurisdictional focus, state, or region.
36 results are shown below.
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Resource
December 2024
After Senate Bill 272 (Sea level rise: planning and adaptation) was adopted in late 2023, the state of California now requires that local governments along the shoreline adjudicated by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) create sea-level rise plans by 2034. The BCDC Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) provides local governments guidance on how to draft, implement, and update “Subregional Plans,” which must be approved by BCDC.
Related Organizations: San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
Resource Category: Planning
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Resource
2019
The Washington Coastal Resilience Project (WCRP), a partnership between the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, Washington Sea Grant, the Department of Ecology, the Nature Conservancy, and others, produced resources and tools to increase the capacity of communities in Washington state to prepare for sea-level rise. The materials generated through the project include featured data visualizations, tutorials, and guidelines for planning, all of which are designed to better enable the integration of sea-level rise into local planning and investment decisions.
Related Organizations: Washington State Department of Ecology , Washington Sea Grant , Climate Impacts Group (CIG) , The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Resource
April 2019
From May 2016 until April 2019, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Planning partnered with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to create three tools that support adaptation at the local level: an interactive data map — the Hawaii Sea-Level Rise Viewer , and two guidance documents — Integrating Coastal Hazards and Sea-Level Rise Resilience in Community Planning and Guidance for Disaster Recovery Preparedness in Hawaii . Much of Hawaii’s population and development exist on low-lying coastal plains that are vulnerable to erosion, flooding, and inundation. Building on the state’s 2017 Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report , the complementary tools are aimed at helping communities better prepare for future sea-level rise and other climate change impacts.
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Resource
2019
This report issued by the U. S. Geological Survey and the U. S. Department of the Interior quantifies the value of U. S. coral reefs in protecting people and infrastructure from coastal hazards that will be exacerbated by climate change and sea-level rise including extreme weather events, flooding, and erosion. The report is intended to inform stakeholders and decision-makers of the value of coral reefs in reducing risk from coastal hazards, and to provide quantitative data that can be used to consider the role coral reefs should play in adaptation and risk mitigation planning.
Related Organizations: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) , U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
Authors or Affiliated Users: Curt Storlazzi, Borja Reguero, Aaron Cole, Erik Lowe, James Shope, Ann Gibbs, Barry Nickel, Robert McCall, Ap R. van Dongeren, Michael Beck
Resource Category: Assessments
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Resource
June 2018
The Florida Adaptation Planning Guidebook, developed at the culmination of the state's multi-year Community Resiliency Initiative, provides a step-by-step framework to assist local governments in Florida with preparing for the impacts of sea-level rise, particularly impacts of coastal flooding and erosion, and changes in ecosystems. The guidebook describes the steps of adaptation planning in the context of existing requirements and optional designations under state legislation passed since 2011, including the optional Adaptation Action Areas designation (Community Planning Act) and the requirements to consider sea-level rise in redevelopment policies (SB 1094, Peril of Flood Act).
Related Organizations: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Resource Category: Planning
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Resource
2018
Louisiana faces severe climate change impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather events, and related flooding, subsidence, and coastal erosion. The Center for Planning Excellence and Dr. Denise Reed collaborated to develop this adaptation framework for coastal Louisiana, with a particular focus on non-structural elements and the communities impacted in the region. This framework is a tool for a more holistic approach to planning coastal community resilience, and provides near- and long-term strategies for flood risk mitigation and implementing adaptation measures.
Related Organizations: Center for Planning Excellence
Authors or Affiliated Users: Denise Reed , Jeannette Dubinin , Camille Manning-Broome
Resource Category: Planning
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Resource
March 2018
In March 2018, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) released Draft Coastal Adaptation Guidance for Residential Development (Draft Guidance) to provide local governments sea-level rise adaptation strategies and example legal and policy tools for residential development. CCC is an independent, quasi-judicial state agency that exercises oversight for activities affecting California’s coast. Through the Draft Guidance, CCC seeks to provide state and local decisionmakers with tools to address the complexities associated with coastal land uses across approaches to residential development that are compounded by variation in the physical environment. Specifically, the Draft Guidance offers a range of legal and policy tools to help facilitate local planning for resilient shorelines and protect coastal resources, including through potential managed retreat strategies. The guidance explores the advantages and disadvantages of many adaptation options, and offers model policy language that could be used to implement best practices. The guidance and model policy language examples may be useful for other coastal jurisdictions planning for or regulating the impacts of sea-level rise on development as the language can be customized and adapted to specific situations and contexts. This guidance can assist coastal managers, local governments, and planners to address climate impacts within their jurisdictions and improve the resiliency of their coastlines and communities.
Related Organizations: California Coastal Commission
Resource Category: Solutions
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Resource
December 2017 Revision
The Shoreline Master Programs Handbook, developed by Washington Department of Ecology, provides guidance to help local governments meet the requirements of the Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58) and the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines (WAC 173-26, Part III). Appendix A of the Handbook directs planners on how to incorporate sea level rise planning into the broader framework of shoreline management planning.
Related Organizations: Washington State Department of Ecology
Resource Category: Planning
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Resource
October 2017
East Boston and Charlestown, Massachusetts are coastal communities that face significant vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Created with the support of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Barr Foundation, this report describes local climate risks, and provides short- and long-term resilience strategies for these areas. This is the first neighborhood coastal resilience plan to be implemented from the Climate Ready Boston plan and initiative.
Related Organizations: City of Boston, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) , Barr Foundation
Resource Category: Solutions
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Resource
2017
Developed for the Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, this Planning Guide is designed for local planners, especially those in small communities and towns throughout Maryland, as they develop resiliency plans. The guide is made up of two sections, the first focused on process, and the second presents potential resilience strategies. The town of Oxford, Maryland is used as a case study throughout the first section, which outlines three assessments recommended for communities interested in working to build coastal resilience.
Related Organizations: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Resource Category: Planning
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