Abstract
Rising sea levels, increasing groundwater salinity, and higher storm surges are impacting national parks in Florida and along the Atlantic coast (Everglades NP and Acadia NP). In the American West, extreme drought and wildfires are transforming forest habitats, causing flooding and erosion that threaten historic park buildings and archaeological sites (Mesa Verde NP). At Mt. Rainier National Park, all 25 glaciers are either thinning or retreating, amplifying flooding and debris flows, burying old growth forests in sediment, and threatening historic 1920s park buildings. National Park Service efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change encompass a wide range of actions. Efforts to adapt run the gamut from proactive and visionary (e.g., redesigned structures at Everglades NP) to mostly defensive (e.g., Nisqually River levee at Mt. Rainier NP). Efforts to mitigate carbon emissions include LEED certified buildings (Mesa Verde NP) and a zero-emission shuttle system at Zion National Park. Every project designed to address climate change must be consistent with the park service’s “dual mandate” to facilitate visitation while leaving park resources unimpaired for future generations. These inherent tensions make the US national parks an ideal laboratory to explore climate change design. The research findings and visual evidence presented in this poster are based on roughly eight weeks of fieldwork (from 2017 to 2024) across multiple national parks. Research findings highlight the opportunities and challenges of climate change design across the US National Park System.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Economic, Social, and Cultural Context
KEYWORDS
Climate change, National parks, Sustainable design
