Hurricane Andrew damaged and destroyed buildings, structures, snatched lives across southern Florida in 1992. The Category 5 hurricane hit coastal state 34 years ago but residents have been witnessing extreme storms frequently. Some 129 million people — nearly 40 per cent of the U.S. population — live in coastal counties. Recent research shows that a rise in sea level driven by humans has increased the frequency of extreme coastal flooding around the world.
As climate change threatens communities, Florida is showing how to build to adapt. Throughout the state, architects and designers are merging infrastructure with urban design to create residential buildings, parks and more. The goal is to better withstand rising waters, worsening storms, saltwater intrusion, heat heaves and other climate impacts.
