Coastal Resilience Talks: Blue Urbanism — A New Vision for Cities on the Blue Planet

On 27 January 2026, from 14:00 to 15:00 CET, the Coastal Resilience Talks series will host Professor Timothy Beatley in a webinar organised by the DCC for Coastal Resilience.

The session will explore the concept of Blue Urbanism, a forward-looking vision that bridges two realities often considered separately: the Blue Planet and the Urban Planet. As coastal and marine challenges intensify, cities are increasingly recognised as critical actors in supporting ocean health, marine conservation, and ocean literacy.

Through this webinar, participants will be introduced to innovative ways cities can reconnect people with the marine environment — from new forms of urban mapping that make the underwater world visible, to community science initiatives, real-time data technologies, and educational programmes that foster direct, hands-on experiences with marine ecosystems. The discussion will highlight how cities can move beyond awareness and become proactive advocates for the ocean.

Abstract

We live on the Blue Planet, but also increasingly on an Urban Planet. Yet these two realities are rarely considered together. Timothy Beatley believes that cities can and must play a critical role in marine conservation and in supporting ocean health as well as cultivating literacy and love of the marine world. He will describe some of the main elements of this new vision of Ocean Cities, or Blue Urbanism, and some of the key steps cities are already taking to bring it about. 

In particular, Beatley will review creative ways cities are helping to forge new connections with, and awareness of, oceans. From new kinds of city maps that depict the underwater world, to community science programs and technologies that deliver in real time images and data, to inspiring educational programs that provide children hands-on experiences and help cultivate a love of marine life, there is much good work to report. More can be done and Beatley will challenge cities to be more active advocates for the marine world. 

About the Speaker

Timothy Beatley is the Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia, where he has taught for more than thirty years. He is the author or co-author of more than twenty-five books, including Blue Urbanism: Connecting Cities and Oceans (Island Press) and Blue Biophilic Cities: Nature and Resilience Along the Urban Coast (Palgrave-MacMillan). Beatley directs the Biophilic Cities Project at UVA (http://biophiliccities.org/) and co-founded UVA’s Center for Design and Health.