2025 MIDCOAST MAINE
Two towns face climate challenges head-on in Maine’s Midcoast region, neighboring Merrymeeting Bay and Casco Bay.
Maine’s Midcoast region, stretching from Brunswick to Camden and encompassing coastal communities such as Brunswick, Bath and Harpswell is a landscape shaped by its rugged shorelines, working waterfronts and rich maritime heritage. This iconic region reflects Maine’s historic past and serves as a canvas for its resilient future. Defined by its natural beauty—salt marshes, tidal rivers, rocky peninsulas and expansive forests—the Midcoast is home to industries that have shaped its identity for generations, including fishing, lobstering and boatbuilding. At the same time, the area is experiencing growth in arts, tourism and sustainable development, pointing toward a future that balances preservation and progress.
However, the Midcoast faces significant challenges posed by a changing climate. Flooding threatens critical coastal infrastructure and habitats. Increasing storm intensities erode shorelines and imperil working waterfronts that sustain Maine’s local economies. Shifts in ocean temperatures disrupt marine ecosystems and traditional fisheries, while housing scarcity and economic disparities add complexity to community resilience. How can Midcoast Maine retain its identity while addressing these mounting environmental and social pressures?
Selected Sites:
Harpswell
Bath
Bath
Bath, renowned for its shipbuilding heritage, now faces the dual challenge of preserving its industrial legacy while preparing for an uncertain climate future. As sea levels rise and storm surges intensify, how can this resilient city protect critical infrastructure while fostering innovation and growth along its waterfront?
The waterfront in Bath is uniquely positioned, situated in the center of the Midcoast and offering access to both the Kennebec River and Merrymeeting Bay—one of the nation’s rare estuaries where six rivers converge. Beyond the waterfront, multiple streets further inland are projected to experience more flooding from extreme precipitation paired with river flow increases. How might thoughtful design leverage these natural assets to create multifunctional landscapes that balance ecological protection and human use?
Infrastructure restoration offers further opportunities for integration. Can the challenge of stormwater management become an opportunity for resilience and connection? Paths that channel stormwater from the city's hills to the harbor—such as Elm and Water Streets—could be redesigned as "green/blue fingers," integrating wetlands, bioretention systems and greenways. Could these corridors manage floodwaters while also becoming inviting public spaces, linking parks and the waterfront in ways that strengthen both ecology and community? Teams are encouraged to work closely with city officials to understand the nuances and current planning efforts related to stormwater management.
Affordable housing is an urgent challenge in Bath, particularly with the expansion of Bath Iron Works (BIW). General Dynamics has announced plans to create workforce housing and amenities—including a commissary and recreation center—to support BIW’s growing workforce. How can this development both meet immediate needs, retain the local pride in its shipbuilding identity and foster a more vibrant, livable community?
All these efforts align with Bath’s broader climate adaptation goals. The city's recently adopted 2024 Climate Action Plan emphasizes integrating green infrastructure, reducing carbon emissions and enhancing resilience at every level—from flood protection to natural resource stewardship. This multifaceted approach is an open call for creative solutions. How can architecture, landscape design and urban planning come together to protect Bath’s future without losing sight of its past?
Harpswell
A historic seaside town, Harpswell, Maine is made up of the three large islands of Bailey, Orr’s and Great Island—each connected to the mainland by bridge. The town’s extensive coastline and its vulnerabilities mean that Harpwell’s working waterfronts and marine-based economy face escalating threats from sea level rise, erosion and warming waters. How can design strategies sustain the community’s close relationship with the ocean while preserving fishing livelihoods, critical infrastructure and vital coastal habitats?
Harpswell has a long history as a fishing community–the town’s official welcome sign announces to visitors that it is a “Working Waterfront Community.” Keeping this history and culture in mind, what opportunities arise for increasing long-term, waterfront resilience, industry and economic sustainability?
The Harpswell Conservation Commission and Resiliency & Sustainability Committee have emphasized sites such as Mitchell Field, Potts Point, Garrison Cove, Lookout Point Landing and Bailey Island as priority areas for resilience measures. Design solutions might include reinforcing waterfronts through natural interventions like living shorelines, which integrate tidal buffers and restored marshlands. These approaches can stabilize eroding edges while preserving crucial access for fishermen and aquaculture industries. Could these strategies also serve as models for multi-functional spaces that support economic activity and ecological health?
Critical to this effort is preserving Harpswell’s scenic shorelines and coastal identity. Stover’s Point Reserve exemplifies the potential for nature-based designs that help communities coexist with a changing coastline. Similarly, areas like Long Reach Preserve and its adjacent marsh systems offer opportunities to strengthen integrated habitat protection, public engagement and education on environmental resilience. How might selected sites work with and appeal to all communities within Harpswell including Cundy’s Harbor, Orr’s Island, Bailey Island and Harpswell Neck?
The 2020 Harpswell Climate Resilience Vulnerability Assessment outlined additional focus areas, including key town roads, boat landings and septic infrastructure already affected by king tides and storm surges. By proactively incorporating these elements into design and planning—alongside ongoing collaboration with committees like the Conservation Commission and Harbor & Waterfront Committee—Harpswell can enhance its readiness for rising seas and increased storm events.