Urban Ocean Lab is a think tank for the future of coastal cities, cultivating rigorous, creative, equitable, and practical climate and ocean solutions.
More than 47 million people live in U.S. coastal cities. The coastal economy supports 58.3 million jobs and contributes $9.5 trillion to our total GDP, and the ocean has the potential to provide up to 35% of the climate solutions we need.
Our safety, communities, cultures, and economies are at risk.
Rising seas, storms, flooding, and erosion fueled by climate change have already led to a considerable loss of life and billions of dollars in damage. This isn’t just a concern for the “coastal elite”—nearly 60% of coastal city residents identify as people of color, 54% are renters, 16% are living in poverty, and 12% are non-citizens (all higher than the national average), and climate impacts are disproportionately borne by historically disadvantaged communities.
We envision climate-ready coastal cities implementing effective policy solutions, ensuring environmental justice for coastal communities, and serving as models for state and federal policy change.
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