Marine and waterfront improvement projects are complex ventures that require sustainable surface, subsurface, and subaquatic environmental and engineering solutions. To be successful, they must navigate the changing climate and a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

Geosyntec’s experts across fields support many kinds of waterfront-focused projects, including marinas and waterfronts, coastal engineering and restoration projects, brownfield redevelopments, ports and harbors, and water and natural resources projects. Our water resources engineers and scientists have supported numerous projects throughout North America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South America.

Comprehensive Coastal & Waterfront Services

We understand the environmental, engineering, and regulatory challenges inherent to projects involving marine and terrestrial components for waterfronts worldwide. Our practitioners work with industries, municipalities, ports, private developers, and landscape architects to provide multidisciplinary technical services that integrate resilient nearshore, upland, and in-water solutions.

In addition, our practitioners understand the challenges that coincide with climate change, such as rising sea levels, coastal flooding, and more powerful tropical storms. From projects involving sensitive headwaters to coastal systems, we provide customized data collection, assessments, computer modeling, alternatives analysis, management planning, design, and regulatory guidance.

Our successful projects incorporate coastal protection and restoration to create lasting success for our clients.

Geosyntec’s Technical Practices that Support Waterfront Improvement Projects

Creating Marinas, Waterfronts, and Coastal Projects Based on a Shared Vision

Creating Marinas, Waterfronts, and Coastal Projects Based on a Shared Vision Waterfront and urban development is strategically important for communities and commerce. In addition to being financially successful ventures, these projects must address commitments to reduce environmental impacts in watersheds while integrating requirements related to flood control, sea-level rise, and climate change resilience.

Managing Climate-Related Risks and Incorporating Adaptation Planning

Managing Climate-Related Risks and Incorporating Adaptation Planning Our coastal engineers and scientists have extensive experience in adaptation planning. We build waterfront projects that consider the risks associated both with climate change and natural physical processes to create projects that can adapt to changing conditions. By incorporating natural or nature-based design features that attenuate waves and improve habitats, these projects often decrease shoreline erosion, wave damage, and flooding. In addition, they often remove pollutants, address contaminated sediments, and incorporate sand replenishment and beach nourishment.

Across our service areas, we integrate a consideration of coastal resilience to help clients prepare for hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and recover from severe weather events. In this way, we support them as they create enduring spaces that meet their business goals and enrich the lives of visitors, residents, and workers.

Communicating Effectively with Stakeholders to Build Lasting Value

Communicating Effectively with Stakeholders to Build Lasting Value Clients recognize that we are at the forefront of policy analysis, regulatory compliance, and technology that promotes sustainable water resources management and ecosystem restoration. Clients trust us with their coastal and waterfront projects because of our concise, clear, and collaborative communication. We listen to concerns and accurately communicate complex ideas to residents, lawmakers, and other stakeholders. Geosyntec engages trust to build strong working relationships with clients to successfully permit, design, and construct projects.

Our people collaborate with stakeholders to understand and integrate their vision and scope with sustainable engineering solutions that address environmental conditions, coastal challenges, geotechnical challenges, and regulatory requirements to permit and implement projects along waterfronts.

Building on Comprehensive Experience in Coastal Engineering

Our scientists and engineers have experience in coastal and waterfront development, remediation, and restoration projects, and they understand the complexities of subsurface geological conditions in upland soils and in-water sediments. This includes developing foundational design requirements for nearshore buildings and marine structures, designing marinas, designing seawalls and breakwaters, dredging and beneficially using dredged materials, and developing stormwater improvements in waterfront areas.