A shoreline defence can be more than a wall. In Palo Alto, California, engineers have built a broad, gently sloping landscape designed to protect the coast while functioning like a living ecosystem. The project sits along Harbor Marsh in the Palo Alto Baylands and combines native vegetation, treated wastewater and a nature-based approach to sea-level rise. Unlike a conventional concrete or steep-sided levee, the new structure is designed to provide habitat as well as help reduce the effects of waves and rising water.
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