ABSTRACT
Inundated estuaries resulting from sea level rise following glacial retreat are often characterized by having a high ratio of shoreline to water, creating a dramatically convoluted landscape and water’s edge. Defined by numerous undulated peninsulas and inlets and high flood risk development, such as metropolitan areas like Baltimore, MD, USA, these landscapes are also places of work, home, and play. The peninsula where Fleming Park is located, in the community of Turner Station in eastern metropolitan Baltimore, is one such landscape. The site is representative of hundreds of small peninsulas throughout the Chesapeake Bay, developed with multiple land uses including industries, residences, and/or park spaces. Public spaces like Fleming Park not only provide essential infrastructural services to bay communities via ecological, recreational, social, and economic co-benefits, but also shape ideas and experiences of civic identity, shared ownership, and public stewardship. In historically underserved communities, the negative effects related to flood risk and sea level rise are often amplified by structural inequalities, which produce uneven benefits and risk profiles. This chapter explores the benefits and risks of innovative reuse and beneficial use (IRBU) of dredged material as one climate adaptation approach to mitigate risk, preserve cultural identity, and protect and enhance ecological, recreation, and economic benefits in the face of rising sea levels.
