by Sean Sanger
Coastal communities across Massachusetts are confronting accelerating rates of sea level rise, storm surge flooding, and ecological disruption. As industry leaders, we understand that traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet the scale of change. At Gibson Park in Revere, Mass., Copley Wolff, McAllister Marine Engineering, LEC Environmental Consultants, Inc., and the City of Revere are advancing a resilient landscape framework that leverages natural systems, data driven modeling, and adaptive recreational planning to strengthen long term coastal performance.
A resilient waterfront begins with a clear understanding of future water conditions. Flood elevation benchmarks serve as critical design drivers for any shoreline-adjacent site. These figures form the basis for grading strategies, structural placement, and program elevation.
At Gibson Park, nature-based coastal defense is central to the design vision. Living shoreline typologies—salt marsh terraces, soft edge transitions, and coastal thickets—function as dynamic buffers that dissipate wave energy, reduce erosion, and elevate habitat value along the Saugus and Pine River inlet. These systems outperform hard infrastructure over time by evolving with changing tidal regimes and supporting sediment accretion. Their ability to improve water quality and stabilize banks positions them as essential tools in the next generation of coastal engineering.
Resilient planting design is infrastructure. Deep rooted species, layered canopies, and seasonal diversity provide redundancy, ecological function, and long-term performance under stress, as well as habitat and food sources for native fauna and pollinators.
These ecological systems are integrated with an equally critical programmatic layer: high-performing recreation. At the soon-to-be-constructed Gibson Park, a natural grass multipurpose field, accessible paths, and strategically placed tree canopy will work in concert with hydrological systems to manage stormwater, reduce surface compaction, and improve thermal comfort. Maintaining existing mature trees and expanded stormwater-responsive open space will strengthen site resilience while enhancing the user experience.
Resilience is also fundamentally social. For coastal neighborhoods, this means designing landscapes that operate as safe public spaces during sunny days and as protective infrastructure during storm events.
As coastal conditions become increasingly volatile, landscape architects, engineers, and municipal leaders must advance integrated systems that blend ecological performance with community benefit. The challenge ahead is not simply to protect our waterfronts, but to transform them. Resilient design offers that opportunity, and Gibson Park will be an example of how landscape architects can influence and lead the way.
Sean Sanger
Sean Sanger is principal at Copley Wolff Design Group.
