Four years after Bernd's presentation on soft engineered coasts mitigating the impact of sea-level rise to Auckland Council, when Councillor Chris Darby called climate change "the white elephant in the room", the council now is aware of what's at stake. When Auckland Council's strategy and research general manager Jacques Victor, and its Chief Sustainability Officer John Mauro launched a new web-based initiative for a climate-resilient city, the asked Urbia Group for compelling imagery. Auckland Council's Newsroom found Urbia Group's visionary rendering that depicts the impression of a seaside city that has successfully adapted to the impacts of climate change. Auckland appears to be dissolved into an archipelago of islands, some separated from their former mainland through sea-level rise, some artificial islands working as barrier to break the waves' energy before causing damage.
Auckland Council's new website explaining Auckland Plan's response options to climate change, however, remains strangely vague about actions to be taken to give the city a positive spin when facing future disasters. This will have to follow in due course, and Urbia Group will engage to help with its hallmark of ecosystem-based strategies as well. Stay tuned on this one.