Sea2City: Envisioning a resilient future for False Creek

Happy Cities contributed to one of two design teams selected to participate in the City of Vancouver’s Sea2City Design Challenge. This work received a professional award from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Boardwalk along a city waterfront with people walking and sitting, with a backdrop of modern high-rise buildings under a cloudy sky — Vancouver’s False Creek Sea Wall. Photo: Kyle Ryan / Unsplash

Waterfront areas are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, storm surges, and flooding. To respond to these challenges, and to imagine a more resilient future for the False Creek area, the City of Vancouver launched an international design challenge.

Happy Cities was excited to participate as a member of one of two design teams selected to participate in Vancouver’s Sea2City Design Challenge. The challenge sought to address four primary goals:

Explore coastal adaptation approaches that respond to the social equity, economic, and ecological challenges posed by sea level rise and coastal flooding
Investigate coastal adaptation approaches for sea level rise beyond one metre
Expand Vancouver’s toolbox of coastal flood management approaches
Increase public awareness of climate change and sea level rise

To view the final project outcomes, please visit the City of Vancouver’s project website:

Learn more