About the Project
Can creative community engagement inform inclusive, accepted designs for resilient future coasts?
Coastal regions around the world are grappling with the accelerating impacts of climate change, environmental stress, and population growth. Securing a sustainable future for coastal regions requires innovative approaches that draw on science and local community values.
A groundbreaking initiative, funded by the UWA Oceans Institute’s Better Oceans Program, explored a transdisciplinary approach by engaging local Western Australian communities through the transformative power of art and design. This research project was led by Natasha Pauli, in close collaboration with Daniel Jan Martin, Carmen Elrick-Barr, Abbie Rogers, Rosie Halsmith, Eloise Biggs, Arnold Van Rooijen, Michael Cuttler, Sofie Nielsen, Kate Driver, Liam Mouritz and Caine Holdsworth.
The team brought together social science, landscape architecture, and biophysical science to develop resilient, community-centred visions for coastal futures. Two case study locations were chosen to reimagine coastal resilience through the perspective of local residents: The Cockburn and Fremantle coast in Perth, and The Middleton Bay region in Albany, from Binalup | Ellen Cove to Emu Point. Each site brought distinct community contexts, coastal risks, and design responses.
The project received a WA Coastal Award for Excellence in Education, Engagement, Science and Research in October 2025, from the Western Australian Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.
