Experts ponder how to save downtown Vancouver inlet from sea level rise

In False Creek sea levels are projected to rise 50 cm by 2050 and 100 cm by 2100, so the City of Vancouver has decided to take action by launching the Sea2City design challenge.

It is the first design challenge of its kind in Canada. The Sea2City Design Challenge has brought together landscape architects from Canada, the Netherlands, and the U.S. to come up with ideas on how to protect False Creek from sea level rise.

“Its goal is to come up with new tools to address sea level rise and coastal flooding but not just respond to technical issues we are expecting like overland flooding, but also respond to our community values,” Angela Danyluk, the Senior Sustainability Specialist at the City of Vancouver told The Weather Network.

The architects, who are also working closely with the host nations for design guidance, will be presenting their first ideas this spring with a focus on three areas: resisting water, accommodating water, and moving away from water. The final designs are expected to be approved in July.

Watch the video above to learn more about the design challenge.

Thumbnail credit: Photography by Harry Traeger/ Moment/ Getty Images