FLOAT - FORT LAUDERDALE OPERATIVE ADAPTATION TACTIC by jd bernal

As human population grows relentlessly, and we continue to employ a linear model of consumption in a world of finite resources, our impact on the planet is increasingly visible on all ecosystems and geographies.

Of particular vulnerability are the low-laying coastal regions, where an estimated one billion people reside worldwide. This project concerns itself with the impact of global warming-caused sea level rise in the city Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

An effort to theorize about a context-appropriate (while not prototypical) high-income, single-family home at the edge of the river under conditions of an inundated city, evolved into an examination of a square mile section of downtown Fort Lauderdale in the pursuit of seeking the sustainability of the current model of the single-family luxury waterfront home. This is an effort in speculating about a socio-economical and urban evolution, and the dynamics of a gradual transformation which would allow the coexistence of the necessary economies and flows which the city would need to become a tourism and activity hub, while embracing its new topography instead of being forced into abandonment by it.

A futuring thought experiment for the Subtropical Cities Conference Exhibition.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY JOSE DANIEL BERNAL 10/2013 JD_BERNAL@YAHOO.COM

LEGEND

CURRENT EXISTING BUILDINGS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE LAND WATER LEVEL RISE AT 2 FEET* NEW BUILDINGS (MED-HI DENSITY) *SOURCE: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer/# National Oceanographic and Athmostpheric Administration sea level rise viewer

FLOAT! FORT LAUDERDALE OPERATIVE ADAPTATION TACTIC

PHASE 1 2015-2040

Local government encourages medium and high density buildings, efficiently mixing medium and high-income residential, lowimpact industrial, professional, hospitality and entertainment, shopping and mixed use buildings in currently available land in downtown.

This goes in hand with construction codes are set

in place mandating that buildings be elevated (i.e. on stilts) and

waterproofed structures, reinforced and water - protected foundations and provisions for future elevation of their ground level.

Solar collection and rainwater harvesting provisions are included as sustainability requirements and to

A long term plan is set in

existing high and medium-density buildings seeking to remain in operation for the next few decades to reinforce and waterproof their structures, and prepare their ground levels for permanent water intrusion and higher levels for new urban-level access.

place mandating

minimize requirement for utility infrastructure on the city.

Some coastal cities such as Fort Lauderdale harbor a considerable amount of privileged real estate, which adds an essential factor to their business, investment, residence and tourism attractiveness.

Factoring this reality into the equation of preserving and growing a city despite a looming gradual and likely environmental shift requires thinking of the urban-based facilitation and encouragement of the interaction between all economies. "float! Fort Lauderdale" is a thought experiment seeking to generate reflection about the evolution of our community under the conditions of an inevitably changing natural morphology, from the narrative of the built environment and urban scale gestures.

While not a detailed study, it offers an overall set of principles for an efficient and benefitial urban environment.

LEGEND

ORIGINAL BUILDINGS AVAILABLE LAND AFTER CLEAROUT WATER LEVEL RISE AT 4 FEET* PHASE 1 BUILDINGS (MED-HI DENSITY) *SOURCE: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer/# National Oceanographic and Athmostpheric Administration sea level rise viewer

FLOAT! FORT LAUDERDALE ORGANIZED AQUATIC TRANSFORMATION

PHASE 2 2040-2060

Developers and government begin acquiring low and medium density low and medium income level homes, which are vulnerable to the increasing water level, for land usage optimization (teardown)

ground clearing of the acquired properties is commenced...

Buildings prepared during the previous phase become an economically and efficient alternative and house new residents and owners of the cleared properties.

High income single family homes, low and medium density commercial owners are encouraged to either lift their buildings or sell for land optimization (teardown).

The platform of this exercise is that the situation of sea-level rise in Fort Lauderdale cannot be addressed solely from short-term infrastructural engineered solutions, which would lead to additional energy consumption.

Instead, it calls for being confronted starting at our present time with a phased and organized organic evolution bringing together urbanism, architecture, government, sociology, transportation, sustainibility, real estate and economics aiming tirelessly to the goal of avoiding gradual abandonment and dereliction of our low-laying coastal city, as well as of allowing it to invite durable and efficient information- based and service economies together with local businesses and engage their attractive for tourism as the Venice of the Americas.

AREA OF INTEREST BOARDWALK (+15’) NEW LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES(+15’) ORIGINAL LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES ORIGINAL LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES WITH RAISED (+15’) ADDITIONS

LEGEND

ORIGINAL BUILDINGS AVAILABLE LAND (PHASE 2) WATER LEVEL RISE AT 5 FEET* PHASE 1 BUILDINGS (MED-HI DENSITY) ORIGINAL BUILDINGS AFTER RAISING NEW BUILDINGS (MED-LOW DENSTY) *SOURCE: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer/# National Oceanographic and Athmostpheric Administration sea level rise viewer

FLOAT! FORT LAUDERDALE OPTIMIZED AMPHIBIOUS TOPOGRAPHY

PHASE 3 2060-2080

Medium and low-density housing and commercial/profe ssional, parks,low and medium income single family housing, low and medium-density s h o p p i n g , professional, leisure uses are provided on stilt structures or e l e v a t e d platforms

communities are built on lands cleared previously in phase 2

Government and private sector prepare further ground clearing for imminent flooding and undertake construction of elevated in-

termodal transportation facilities, arterial highways, railways, and water-based transportation projects.

Designation of transportation links and urban restorative interstices, plazas, urban farms, etc. as part of the re-

urbanization process takes place.

New high-income single family homes on stilts are built to a minimum elevation.

High-income housing set to retrofit can remain through the use of elevated structural additions or light

construction built on top of previous structures where possible, alongside new waterfront elevated homes.

ELEVATED PUBLIC RAILWAY

MAIN DOWNTOWN CORE WATERWAY

MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION HUB

AREA OF INTEREST BOARDWALK (+15’) NEW LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOME WATER VESSELS NEW LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES(+15’) ORIGINAL LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES ORIGINAL LUXURY SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES WITH RAISED (+15’) ADDITIONS

LEGEND

ORIGINAL BUILDINGS AVAILABLE LAND (PHASE 2) WATER LEVEL RISE AT 6 FEET* PHASE 1 BUILDINGS (MED-HI DENSITY) ORIGINAL BUILDINGS AFTER RAISING NEW BUILDINGS (MED-LOW DENSTY) PUBLIC AREAS: PARKS, URBAN FARMS

FLOAT! FORT LAUDERDALE: OPPORTUNITY, ACTIVITY, TOURISM

*SOURCE: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer/# National Oceanographic and Athmostpheric Administration sea level rise viewer

PHASE 4 2080-2100

As water level rise is evident, transition to water-based transportation systems is well underway, and the city shows obvious signs of transition to a water-based city, reinventing Itself as a touristic attraction, international import/export, technological and informationbased hub and retirement community set apart from anywhere in the world.

*Water vessel homes are integrated directly into the urban fabric.