On the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh Wednesday announced the creation of a regional summit on climate change, saying rising sea levels and powerful storms pose a threat to the Boston area.
“The climate knows no municipal boundaries,” Walsh said at a news conference at the Architecture Boston Expo, held at the Boston Convention Exhibition Center.
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The summit will be held next spring at the University of Massachusetts Boston and will look to coordinate a regional approach to climate change preparation for communities along the Atlantic Ocean. Climate scientists project that sea levels could rise by one to two feet by 2050, and three to six feet by 2100.
Brian Swett, Boston’s chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, described Hurricane Sandy as a “near-miss,” and said the region narrowly eluded the worst of several other severe storms.
“This problem is only going to be exacerbated by climate change,” he said. “We need to make sure people are ready for storms they have never experienced.”
Officials also announced the kickoff of an international design competition focused on climate change. Called “Boston Living with Water,” the competition invites teams to submit design solutions to sea-level rise for three sites in the city. Details are available at www.bostonlivingwithwater.org.
Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globepete.