Cape Ann: Compound Vulnerabilities ·

Infrastructure: Introduction Governance Practices Finance Practices Engagement Practices Case Studies Recommendations

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Infrastructure is the foundation upon which daily life and community resilience depend.

Roads, bridges, utilities, and wastewater systems determine how people evacuate during storms, how water moves through the landscape, and whether pollutants overwhelm ecosystems during surges.

In Cape Ann, where flooding roads, undersized culverts, and aging wastewater facilities are already strained, the condition of infrastructure is inseparable from the region’s ability to withstand future climate events.

This report documents the work of an investigation conducted at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s Office for Urbanization from 2024 to 2025 focusing on ecological systems across the region of Cape Ann in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The research and this report would not have been possible without the generous contributions of many people and institutions. We would like to acknowledge the contributions of TownGreen 2025, Water Alliance, and the Cape Ann Climate Coalition, in particular Greg Federspiel, Manchester Town Administrator; Dick Prouty, Co-Chair TownGreen 2025; and Valerie Nelson, Director of Water Alliance. This report would not have been possible without their cooperation and support.

We are indebted to our local contributors on Cape Ann for offering their multi- disciplinary expertise. For their commitment to sharing their knowledge about the place and new modes of thinking about ecological restoration on Cape Ann, these individuals deserve our sincere appreciation, particularly our group of Local Knowledge Advisors, including Eric Hutchins, Jayne Knott, Denton Crews, Alison DiFiore, Chris Leahy, and Kelsey Gray.

We are greatly obliged to our Academic Advisors for their invaluable contributions to this project, including Diane Davis, Archon Fung, Daniel D'Oca, Jason Beckfield, Rachel Meltzer, and Jesse Keenan.

Resilient Practices