Engineering Meets Public Participation on the Coast in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

City of Surrey is a coastal community located within the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of approximately 550,000, with an average annual growth rate of 2% over the last 10 years. Since early European settlement in the 19^th century, the community has managed flooding, having over 60 sq. km. of land located within coastal floodplains containing significant critical infrastructure such as highways, water, sewer, power and rail lines.

To tackle the hard questions about sea level rise, City of Surrey embarked on an innovative public planning process that incorporated engineering analysis and built on extensive coastal, riverine and hydrologic modelling. By engaging residents, stakeholders and partners on long-term adaptation approaches, priority near-term infrastructure investments were developed that were consistent with long-term needs. A coastal flood resilience and adaptation project valued at C$187 million was developed to increase resilience of critical infrastructure, while also reduces cumulative socio-economic damages and provides important community benefits. Approximately 10% of the investment is in green infrastructure that offsets biodiversity and recreational impacts of sea level rise and minimizes necessary grey infrastructure demands through wave attenuation and flood storage.

The case study demonstrates the benefit of engineers collaborating with other professions (including planners, landscape architects, teachers and communication experts) to engage the public when seeking clear and confident decision-making around complex coastal engineering challenges.