Sustainable coastal margins: Challenges of tempo and mode for the policy domain

Abstract

The urgent need for coastal management of tempo and mode for global population growth and urbanization is generally underappreciated. That growth is inevitable in the coming two decades. With a population of 311 million, the United States must absorb one to two million people per year in coastal watersheds, yet maintain a sustainable and built environment. Degree of success is largely dependent on the policy domain-political will and performance of governance. The-current compartmentalized governance structure has been inadequate in meeting environmental goals, and the structure is unlikely to change in the next decade. Strategic and targeted approaches that account for the social, economic, and environmental realities of urban space in a sustainability context are needed for framing contemporary management strategies. That is, confronting reality, thinking strategically, and changing the way institutions are managed and their degree of connectivity. Strategic guidelines are advanced as a blueprint for creating practical, sustainability-based frameworks for performance enhancement. Operational imperatives include pragmatism, prioritization, alignment, understanding, anticipation, context, and implementation.