Coastal Adaptation Policy Briefs
To provide a distilled analysis of topics noted as highly relevant to coastal planners throughout our engagement discussions, we produced a compilation of Coastal Adaptation Policy Briefs. The structure of each document was co-developed with city- or county-level coastal planners and the full topic list was reviewed by coastal adaptation practitioners. The approach to each policy brief builds from the methods developed for our legal article on Enabling and Limiting Conditions of Coastal Adaptation.
Engineered
Artificial placing of sand on a beach to replace eroded sand or to protect against future erosion
Engineered project to enhance or restore vulnerable or eroded dune systems
Engineered solution where a structure is raised in response to a current or expected flooding hazard
Restoration utilizing plants or other natural elements sometimes in combination with harder shoreline structures to decrease wave impacts
Large rocks and boulders placed on shoreline to buffer against erosion and waves
Structures parallel to shorelines that are engineered to protect against encroaching seas
Restoration effort allowing tidal wetlands to recover in areas that have been diked or otherwise altered from their original conditions
Financial
Government tool to acquire properties
Agreements not to develop property in exchange for money or tax incentives
Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs):
Special district formed to prevent, mitigate, abate or control some geologic hazard
Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs):
Tradable development credit program where development rights are severed from "sending areas" and transferred to "receiving areas"
Legal and Regulatory
Planning framework whereby an observed event “triggers” a shift to implementing specific adaptation policies
Temporary development prohibition while planning proceeds
An additional set of zoning restrictions that “overlay” the original zoning of a specific area
Rebuilding and Redevelopment Restrictions:
Building code amendments to limit the redevelopment allowed in a certain location
Additional Topics
Public Trust Doctrine (PTD):
Investigation of the role of the Public Trust Doctrine in sea level rise adaptation planning
Coastal Adaptation and Takings Law:
Distillation of current case law regarding takings claims in California