Community and Communication for Cape Ann Climate Resilience

2026, Paper: "Like many coastal communities around the world, people who live on Cape Ann are grappling with their unique vulnerabilities to climate change. Sea level rise, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, increased storm intensity, and higher high tides that cause flooding even on sunny days are just some of the climate impacts that coastal communities can expect.1 In this report on public engagement and civic communication, we use our newcomers’ understanding of Cape Ann, the background materials made available online by the Office for Urbanization at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and research on how governments relate to their publics to offer social pathways to increased climate resilience on Cape Ann. We aim to enhance the capacity of the municipal governments to communicate with community organizations and engage the public in decision-making processes related to the increasing frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes. We also hope to support municipalities in framing and using the unique core capacities and social resources for resilience that exist on Cape Ann. These capacities are a strength for current and future resilience planning, and create opportunities for business leaders, community organizations, and media outlets to enhance their local capacity to anticipate, prepare for, manage, and recover from extreme weather events."