In 2013, then-Mayor Paul Fraim publicly acknowledged Norfolk’s vulnerability to sea level rise and coastal flooding. While this announcement had the potential to deter investment and economic growth, Norfolk instead saw an opportunity—leveraging the challenge to drive research, exploration, and innovation, ultimately generating exportable knowledge, expertise, and solutions for living with water.
To tackle these challenges, Norfolk partnered with a regional planning commission, Waggoner & Ball Architects, and the Royal Netherlands Embassy to host a series of workshops called “Dutch Dialogues.” These sessions combined Dutch expertise in integrated water management with American engineering and urban planning strategies to address flooding, water quality, sea level rise, and land subsidence across Norfolk, Hampton, and the surrounding region.
As part of this initiative, WPA hosted a three-day workshop and design charrette, exploring innovative ways to live with water. Discussions covered engineering, spatial planning, urban design, environmental restoration, community amenities, and economic development. WPA also provided process management, organized coastal boat tours, and delivered GIS mapping services, custom flood map overlays, urban design, planning, and architectural expertise.
The work produced through Dutch Dialogues: Life at Sea Level became the foundation for Norfolk’s application to the National Disaster Resilience Competition. In February 2016, Norfolk was awarded a $120 million grant by the Rockefeller Foundation to implement flood mitigation and resilience strategies in the Ohio Creek watershed.
