Creating a market for retreat : transfer of development rights as a climate adaptation tool in coastal Massachusetts
Name
1193560409-MIT.pdf
Size
17.55 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
2088dc6931e7fda0f4b303be38797f6d
Author(s)
Smith, Mary Hannah.
Advisor(s)
Justin Steil.
Alternative Title
Transfer of development rights as a climate adaptation tool in coastal Massachusetts
Date Issued
2020
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Transfer of development rights (TDR) is a zoning tool that many planning experts have suggested as a potential climate adaptation tool, though it has never been implemented for that purpose. This thesis explores how a TDR program applied as a climate adaptation tool could facilitate a managed retreat program by creating a hypothetical program for the town of Westport, Massachusetts. While the advantage of using TDR for adaptation is that it provides a funding mechanism for managed retreat, its success depends on the program's ability to generate development rights transfers. The Westport implementation is projected to have only partial success at achieving reductions in vulnerability to coastal flooding through buy-outs because of the limited expected demand for TDR credits. However, the Westport implementation has both advantages and disadvantages as an adaptation approach despite its limited success at achieving the primary program goal. These considerations are discussed in detail and are used to generate a set of recommendations for state leaders who may consider promoting the use of TDR as an adaptation approach for other municipalities in Massachusetts.
Description
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, May, 2020
Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 75-84).
Subjects
Urban Studies and Planning.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Terms of Use
MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.
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