South Portland Waterfront Resilience Survey

Update: This survey is now closed.

Thank you for providing your input! You may continue to use this Storymap to explore approaches to coastal resilience.

In the coming decades, the City of South Portland will face increasing hazards due to climate change similar to those we experienced during the storms of January 2024. As part of the ongoing  South Portland 2040 Comprehensive Plan  update, the City of South Portland conducted a  vulnerability assessment of the City’s waterfront neighborhoods  to identify existing and future vulnerabilities from increased coastal flooding across our community. The  maps and data  resulting from this vulnerability assessment were used during a Coastal Resilience Community Workshop in June 2024 to begin identifying the community’s preferences for resilience approaches across South Portland’s waterfront neighborhoods.

This Waterfront Resilience Survey is meant to help community members explore the range of possible approaches for building coastal resilience, and share your feedback on which approaches you’d like to see across South Portland’s waterfront. Community feedback will help guide a deeper dive assessment of cost, feasibility, permitting, etc., for potential resilience strategies across the City and inform future land use planning throughout the coming months.

Scroll down on this page to learn about the different approaches and potential strategies for coastal resilience in South Portland, then take our short survey to share your feedback on where across the City you’d like to see specific resilience approaches.

• To explore in-depth data and analysis on neighborhood-level coastal vulnerabilities in South Portland, visit the  South Portland Waterfront Resilience storymap .
• For more information about the City of South Portland’s coastal resilience efforts, visit the  South Portland Coastal Resilience website .
• To get involved in the South Portland 2040 Comprehensive Plan update, visit the  South Portland 2040 website .

Building coastal resilience in South Portland is a complex task with a range of possible approaches. “Hardscape” solutions like a seawall might work well in some places across our City, but not in others. Likewise, “nature-based solutions” like living shorelines might work well in some areas but not others. This is based on factors such as geography, existing development patterns, and available resources.

Our framework for coastal resilience organizes specific strategies for building coastal resilience into four categories: 

• AVOID – Avoid new development in areas most vulnerable to flooding.
  • E.g. Development restrictions through zoning.
• ACCOMMODATE – Instead of preventing flooding and erosion, adopt coping strategies that enable continued human habitation in areas with periodic flooding.
  • E.g. Flood proofing, elevating structures, creating flood storage areas
• PROTECT – Protect land and buildings from erosion and flooding with new infrastructure.
  • E.g. Sea walls, dykes, dune restoration, beach nourishment
• RETREAT – Move people and existing structures in areas most vulnerable to flooding out of harm’s way, allowing coastal habitats to migrate naturally as the sea rises.
  • E.g. Land acquisition programs, wetland restoration

Read more about example coastal resilience strategies within each of these four categories below.

Update: This survey is now closed.

On the Crowdmap below, add your ideas for where you believe South Portland should take a specific approach (Avoid/Accommodate/Adapt/Retreat) to building coastal resilience.

To add an idea to the Crowdmap:

1. Click on an approach (Avoid/Accommodate/Adapt/Retreat) in the panel on the right-hand side of the Crowdmap.
2. Once your chosen approach is selected, then click the specific location on the Crowdmap where you believe that approach would be effective.
3. In the text box that appears, answer why you believe that approach should be prioritized in that place.
4. Click "Create" at the bottom of the panel on the right-hand side of the map to submit your answer.
5. To add another idea to the map once you’ve submitted one, click the back arrow at the top left of the panel on the right-hand side of the map, then repeat steps 1-4.

Once you’ve added your place-based ideas for coastal resilience, scroll down to answer two additional survey questions about the City’s coastal resilience planning.

Update: This survey is now closed.

Having issues with the survey or just want to get in touch? We want to hear from you! Share your feedback on the South Portland Waterfront Resilience Project by emailing  compplan@southportland.org .