Investing in a Resilient Wharf District

The Wharf District Council asked ARUP to analyze the vulnerabilities and benefits of protecting Boston from flooding, a summary of which is included below.

If we do not act now to protect our communities from flooding, Boston’s people and economy face potentially devastating impacts.

By the 2050s to 2070s, the consequences of a 100-year coastal flood are anticipated to include:

• $14B in citywide economic losses, with over 17,000 jobs impacted by business closures, disruptions, and decreased consumer spending across Boston’s healthcare, scientific, professional services, education, restaurant, real estate, retail, and transportation industries.

• 1 out of 7 residents in the City will be exposed to flooding, with over 9,000 people in Downtown Boston, the Wharf District, East Boston, South Boston, and the South End alone requiring public shelter – far exceeding the City’s 1,000-person shelter capacity.

• 10% of Boston’s K-12 schools will be exposed to flooding, affecting over 11,500 students.

• Nearly 1 in 3 MBTA T stations are at risk of flooding, with cascading impacts likely to impact regional transportation systems, emergency services, and access to jobs.

Over the same time period, flooding from high tides alone also poses significant risks to Boston, including:

• Almost 5 percent of Boston’s land area will be exposed to flooding from the average monthly high tide.

• Transportation-related structures and essential facilities (such as Fire, EMS, police stations, and hospitals) are expected to have over $1.3B in property value exposed to average monthly high tide events.

The benefits of investing in a resilient Wharf District today will extend to communities across Massachusetts and beyond for generations to come.

Protecting the Wharf District is an economic imperative.

In 2023, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area generated over $610 billion in GDP making it one of the most economically productive regions in the nation. Tourism within the Wharf District alone accounts for more than $12 billion annually, driven by iconic attractions like the New England Aquarium, Faneuil Hall, and the Boston Harborwalk.

The Wharf District isn’t just a destination—it’s a vital artery for the region’s infrastructure and economy.

The Wharf District is home to the region’s transportation hub, servicing 70% of the state’s population, providing access to 74% of all jobs, and supporting 84% of Massachusetts GDP. The MBTA’s Orange and Blue Lines alone move over 100,000 riders daily—a figure that exceeds the population of most U.S. cities.

Investing in resilience now will prevent far greater losses later.

By 2030, annualized losses associated with flood damage in the Wharf District alone is projected to exceed $28 million. Across the entire City of Boston, annualized flood-related damages could surpass $137 million.

This effort is about more than protecting places, it is about safeguarding the stories and spaces that shape our shared cultural legacy.

Some things, like our historic fabric, cannot be repaired, replaced, or relocated. Flooding threatens our nation’s irreplaceable history that is rooted in the Wharf District. Faneuil Hall stands as a reminder of 275 years of abolitionists, suffragists, and activists who have used this structure to challenge injustice and reimagine American liberty. Historic places like Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Long Wharf, and the Customs House stand as reminders of where we came from, while challenging us to redefine the meaning of justice and liberty today.

We are building a roadmap for coastal communities beyond Boston.

The Wharf District Council’s resiliency plan is not just about the Wharf District, or Boston more broadly. It’s about developing a replicable, community-led resilience model for coastal communities everywhere to learn from and adapt. With 80% of the world’s population living within 100 miles of a coastline, the challenges we face in Boston are shared globally. Coastlines connect us and this effort is intended to do the same.