Waterfront Alliance has initiated a two-year project aimed at enhancing resilience along the Mississippi River, focusing on waterfront development in areas vulnerable to climate impacts.

The Waterfront Alliance’s new initiative brings its innovative Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) to the Mississippi River, a move designed to fortify the floodplain climate resilience of community waterfronts facing catastrophic flooding, stormwater issues, and other climate-related hazards.

According to the release, the alliance plans to engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including floodplain managers, landscape architects, engineers, property owners, municipalities, environmental advocates, nonprofit professionals, and community leaders. These engagements will include workshops, townhalls, technical assistance, and educational activities aimed at inspiring equitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient design practices.

“Unlike typical government development standards that merely require projects to do no harm, WEDG assesses 143 performance measures focused on resilience, flood protection, stormwater reduction, ecology, community engagement, and public access while incentivizing projects to add positive community value and correct historic wrongs,” the release said.

Priority areas for this initiative include regions like the Quad Cities, which straddles Illinois and Iowa, and Memphis, Tennessee. These locations are experiencing increased flooding risks and repeat flood events that could overwhelm levees and infrastructure.

A partnership with the Walton Family Foundation will help support multiple projects, allowing them to earn WEDG Verified status at no cost. This collaboration will also offer free or reduced-cost training opportunities for professionals, volunteers, and community leaders to further their education on climate resilience and flood prevention strategies.

Originally reported by Peter Fabris in bdcnetwork.