A shifting coastline in Connecticut
One of many productive connections made and conversations had at the Keeping History Above Water conference resulted in Jeana Wiser and Adam Markham speaking at Resilient Bridgeport, a public event centered on culture and history particular to the South End neighborhood in Bridgeport, CT.
Kelsey Mullen, Coordinator for Academic Programs & Special Projects, and Margot Nishimura, Deputy Director Collections, Programming & Public Engagement—both Keeping History Above Water conference organizers from Newport Restoration Foundation—were invited to attend Resilient Newport by the Waggonner & Ball and the Resilient Bridgeport team.
The idea for the Bridgeport public event came out of the connection David Waggonner—fellow Keeping History Above Water panelist and speaker—made with Adam Markham and Jeana Wiser at the Keeping History Above Water conference in April 2016. In addition to their longstanding work with Pocantico, Wiser and Markham served as Keeping History Above Water committee members, helping to steer the conference over a year-long period of planning, as well as speaking as panelists and presenters at the conference itself.
“Why study Bridgeport?” the Resilient Bridgeport event publication asks. “Bridgeport’s landscape of peninsulas, waterways, lowlands, wetlands, beaches and islands is characteristic of coastal Connecticut. At the juncture of Cedar Creek, highway, rail, the Pequonnock River, and the Long Island Sound, the project area is also home to critical utilities and industries that serve the city and an entire region, historic districts and buildings, the Fredrick Law Olmstead-designed Seaside Park, the University of Bridgeport, and a diverse array of single-family homes, town-homes, and apartments. Here there are many possibilities for developing a vision for what a resilient Bridgeport can be.”
Check out Adam Markham and Jeana Wiser’s presentation on YouTube:
A short overview of different parts of the day during Resilient Bridgeport, June 10th:
Cultural Heritage and Historic Places in a Changing Climate, 11:30 – 1 p.m.
Join the Resilient Bridgeport design team and climate change and historic preservation experts Adam Markham and Jeana Wiser for lectures and discussion on cultural heritage and sea level rise. Adam Markham, Deputy Director of Climate and Energy for the Union of Concerned Scientists, directs the Union’s special initiative on climate impacts.Jeana Wiser is an Associate Project Manager for the Preservation Green Lab, which highlights and promotes the relationship between older, smaller buildings and sustainability. The Preservation Green Lab is the research arm of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Open Studio, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
The Resilient Bridgeport design team will be working throughout the afternoon in an open studio format. Meet design team members, and take a look at the “Resilient Bridgeport Atlas” as well as design considerations and strategies that are being explored. Please stop in to introduce yourself, ask questions, and give feedback. This event is open to the public.
Open House, 4 – 7 p.m.
Come learn about the coastal resilience and planning efforts in Bridgeport. The Open House will include information on the Resilient Bridgeport project, with a focus on design conditions and potential pilot project components. Light refreshments will be served, and open to the public.
Neighborhood Walk: Stories on the Ground, 5 – 6 p.m.
Join the Resilient Bridgeport team, community leaders, and climate change and historic preservation experts on a 2 mile walk around the South End to explore the relationship between the city’s cultural heritage and sea level rise. Key stops include the Cottage District, Freeman Houses, regional power and transportation infrastructure, Seaside Village, Marina Village, and Seaside Park.