Conversations In: Should Coastal Cities Defend the Shoreline or Retreat From It?

“Conversations In” represents a novel platform designed to stimulate dynamic and insightful dialogues amongst researchers, policy makers and industry professionals. It invites concise contributions that either respond to existing discussions or introduce fresh perspectives on specific nuances within the broader theme of the collection. Each article aims to spark and contribute to meaningful debates.For this “Conversations In” collection, we ask for contributions that address the question: Should coastal cities defend the shoreline, or retreat from it?As sea levels rise and storms intensify, coastal cities face a decision that was once unthinkable: whether to hold the line or move out of harm’s way. For generations, the default response has been to defend — seawalls, levees, surge barriers, and ever-higher engineered protection. Now a competing logic is gaining ground. Managed retreat, the planned relocation of people, homes, and infrastructure away from the most vulnerable shorelines, has shifted from a last resort to a serious adaptation strategy debated in council chambers and research institutions alike. But retreat collides head-on with property rights, place attachment, public finances, and the political reality that few leaders want to tell residents to leave.Can cities keep engineering their way to safety, or does that simply postpone — and inflate — an inevitable reckoning? Who decides which neighbourhoods are defended and which are abandoned, and how are those choices made fairly? What happens to communities, livelihoods, and identity when the coastline moves inland?This collection invites compelling opinion articles that explore the nuances, contradictions, and possibilities within this debate. We seek voices from across disciplines and backgrounds—urban planners, climate scientists, engineers, economists, legal scholars, geographers, policymakers, community advocates, and engaged citizens—who can offer diverse perspectives on how, or whether, coastal cities should defend, adapt, or retreat.Each article submitted should be no more than 1,500 words and can include one table and/or figure. Authors should select the Opinion article type when submitting their manuscripts to this call. Whilst opinion pieces from groups of authors are welcome, we ask that researchers consider the value of individual dialogue within this article collection as well.In recognition of the importance of this collection, waivers to Article Processing Charges are available to authors. Please reach out to the Editorial Office in advance of submitting at sustainable.cities@frontiersin.org for more information on how to access these waivers.Please note, due to the topical nature of this theme, the journal is acting as overall host of the Topic. This ensures all potential authors across the spectrum of opinions on this theme feel welcomed to submit their pieces. Papers in this collection will be handled and reviewed by members of our permanent Editorial Board. Topic editors: Frontiers In Sustainable Cities Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83037/conversations-in-should-coastal-cities-defend-the-shoreline-or-retreat-from-it