Urban Seascapng: How to live not just by the sea but with the sea

Urban shorelines are markers of the contested site between the city and the sea. For centuries, coastal cities have expanded their influence further into the sea in the form of land reclamation (also termed “ocean sprawl”), which is responsible for habitat loss, decrease in biodiversity and water pollution. The sea has increasingly become a backdrop to support the growth of business-as-usual (B-A-U) urban developments that are not conducive to the changing climate nor capable of moving beyond the exploitative and superficial engagement with the sea that most cities practice today. However, the consequences of climate change are challenging the sprawl, as the sea is pushing back onto coastal cities in the form of sea level rise and frequent storms. The dominant way coastal cities have responded to this encroachment has been defence-driven mechanical handling of water via sea walls and pumps, a symptom of a reactive rather than proactive response in addressing the climate crisis.
In response, this PhD research develops an initial hypothesis and a critical proposition called “Urban Seascaping” as an alternative way to re-envision urban coastal developments by exploring the potential of marine nature as an active part of the sociocultural cityscape and its future resilience. Nature-based solutions are emerging as a key component in coastal adaptation and mitigation strategies as climate change mitigation. Furthermore, the green transition of coastal cities is becoming paramount in addressing the rapidly approaching IPCC deadlines/Paris Agreement. The benefits of nature-based solutions are myriad, as they lessen not only the impact of storm surges or coastal erosion but also their capacity to capture carbon, produce oxygen, filter water pollutants, and increase biodiversity as habitats, to name a few. Thus, the research asks: How can coastal cities of Denmark integrate the sea and its lifeforms to contribute towards re‐envisioning urban development in light of a sea level rise and frequent storm surges?