A tale of two cities: Annapolis and St. Augustine balancing preservation and community values in an era of rising seas

Abstract

PART 3. ENHANCING RESILIENCE, ADAPTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY - Linking Resilience, Sustainable Heritage and Community Livelihoods /// Annapolis, Maryland and St. Augustine, Florida, are colonial cities on the East Coast of the United States with National Historic Landmark designations recognizing the strong blends of natural and cultural resources that make each unique. Annapolis faces nuisance flooding that is challenging the above-ground resources and the natural settings and cultural frameworks that support and enhance them. St. Augustine has witnessed dozens of hurricanes and frequent coastal flooding, impacting the delicate balance of natural and cultural resources in a fast-growing population with significant vulnerabilities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides a model for determining community value in cultural resource hazard mitigation planning. These communities can prioritize the protection of historic places threatened by natural disasters by comparing that model against the United States Secretary of the Interior’s factors for determining historic integrity. This framework can serve as a model approach for evaluating public sentiment for the protection and preservation of historic places within the larger context of disaster preparedness and recovery. This can enable communities to evaluate and prioritize places that matter to prepare for and recover from rising waters.