ABSTRACT
Months of research, community engagement, and design strategy development focus on the value of the beach, a place of special significance to human memory, state and local economies, and a vital component of coastal ecosystems. The typologies have provided the foundation for the ways that adjacent shore communities have grown and evolved. Given the shore's need for improved capacity and multi-jurisdictional operations, a regional strategy for a resilient shore requires a connected Resilience Network, rather than single project owners or partners. The shore is defined by the three environmental typologies that comprise all coastlines, including any part of the Atlantic Seaboard, the Sandy-affected region, and—where our research has focused—along the Jersey Shore. New Jersey's northern shore is an ideal place to study the identity and function of the beach, as it includes the three coastal geomorphic typologies found across the eastern seaboard of the United States: Barrier Islands; Headlands; and Inland Bay.
