Chapter The sea level rise of the next hundred years. The case study of Miami as a paradigmatic example for Mediterranean coasts

Abstract

The climate crisis demands urgent measures to maintain and improve the sustainability of our cities. Miami-Dade County has experienced a significant sea level rise. Predictions indicate a potential rise of 1.5 to 2 meters by the end of the century, which would render much of southern Florida uninhabitable and force mass relocations. Miami-Dade has proposed a protection plan that includes elevating roads and relocating buildings away from coastal areas, while increasing residential density in less affluent neighborhoods further inland. This strategy, however, risks causing "climate gentrification," displacing low-income families and altering neighborhood demographics. The study's findings, based on IPCC and NOAA forecasts, are applicable to Mediterranean regions, which are increasingly affected by medicanes. The data can inform the design of coastal protection systems, emphasizing architecture's social role in creating spaces for inhabitants while preventing similar social displacement observed in Miami.