Nantucket Island has long looked to the ocean to determine its future. From fishing village to international whaling port to beloved seaside escape, the waters that surround Nantucket have always inspired. A National Historic Landmark with more than 800 pre-Civil War era historic structures, Nantucket is one of the countless coastal communities who now must rethink its relationship with the sea.
Keeping History Above Water®: Nantucket was a two-day workshop on Nantucket that brought together members of the island community, stakeholders from other coastal communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and national experts to share experiences and case studies. On Day One, participants learned from the successes and lessons of other historic coastal communities. Participants turned their focus to Nantucket on Day Two, using state-of-the-art laser scanning models to help envision sea level rise and an old-fashioned roundtable discussion to propose solutions. The convening kicked off with keynote speaker Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World. Donovan Rypkema, preservation economics expert, gave a special presentation on Friday, June 28.
