Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge Cohort Wins 2022 Student Award from the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 12, 2023
CONTACT:
Claire Martin
cmartin@remainnantucket.org
508-901-4149
CRANSTON, R.I.---The six university teams that participated in the 2022 Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge to design creative solutions to sea level rise have won the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-RI)'s annual student award, ReMain Nantucket announced today.
The Envision Resilience Challenge is a semester-long design studio, developed by ReMain Nantucket, that connects interdisciplinary teams from leading universities with coastal communities to envision adaptive and creative solutions to sea level rise through design. The challenge was introduced in Nantucket, Massachusetts in 2021 and brought to Narragansett Bay, R.I., in 2022.
The American Planning Association, representing 40,000 members from 90 countries, works to elevate and unite a diverse planning profession as it helps communities, their leaders and residents anticipate and navigate change. Each year, the APA-RI celebrates and recognizes outstanding planning projects and plans across the state. This year's Student Award went to the six universities that participated in the 2022 Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge: the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, Syracuse University, Northeastern University and the University of Florida. The award recognizes the innovative student designs that inspired significant community engagement in local Rhode Island communities.
“The goal of Envision Resilience has always been to engage communities in positive, hopeful and meaningful conversations about adaptation and innovation in the face of climate change,” said Cecil Barron Jensen, executive director of ReMain Nantucket. “We are so proud of the recent cohort of remarkable students and faculty and applaud their many achievements and this wonderful recognition in Rhode Island.”
Interdisciplinary university teams spent the spring semester immersing themselves in the culture, values and history of Wickford, Warren, Barrington, Providence and Aquidneck Island. Their mission was to develop innovative pathways forward in the face of sea level rise based on the intermediate to high sea level rise projections from the 2022 Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Interagency Task Force tool. Based on these projections, Narragansett Bay will see more than 1 foot of sea level rise by 2040, nearly 2 feet by 2060, more than 3 feet by 2080 and 5 feet by 2100.
Student teams considered both community challenges and values in their visionary proposals, which showcased plans to uplift neglected portions of Warren, imagined a post-carbon world and economy in Providence, envisioned regenerative systems throughout Narragansett Bay and relied on nature to embrace water, all while highlighting inclusive, accessible and community-focused ways of living.
“The student work provides stakeholders with a ‘safe space’ to highlight innovation and forward-thinking solutions to land use planning and design of our structures and landscapes,” said Teresa Crean, director of planning, building and resilience for the Town of Barrington. “The results of this effort contribute to an evolving body of work that practitioners across the state can use to communicate concepts and foster greater understanding of the potential for sound solutions as our landscapes are faced with increased stressors from a changing climate.”
The student work was displayed in a month-long exhibition at WaterFire Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island in June 2022 and is available for viewing online.
An APA-RI awards party will be held on Friday, Jan. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the historic Park Theatre in Cranston, R.I. Tickets are $35 for members and $45 for non-members. For more information on the event, visit the APA-RI website.
The Envision Resilience Challenge
The Envision Resilience Challenge is a semester-long design studio, developed by ReMain Nantucket, that connects interdisciplinary teams from leading universities with coastal communities to envision adaptive and creative solutions to sea level rise. The challenge was introduced in Nantucket, Massachusetts in 2021 and moved to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, in 2022. Learn more at www.envisionresilience.org.
ReMain Nantucket and ReMain Ventures are funded by Wendy Schmidt and her husband Eric to support the economic, social and environmental vitality of the island of Nantucket. In addition to providing grants and sponsorships to support sustainable and cultural initiatives across the island, ReMain Nantucket has worked in conjunction with ReMain Ventures to revitalize the downtown district year-round through the preservation of historic buildings that are home to a mix of nonprofit and commercial businesses.
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