Milton heard a community resiliency report produced by university students at its Aug. 19 town council meeting.
The Coastal Resilience Design Studio presented the report on community resilience strategies in Milton last month.
The studio is a partnership between the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, the University of Delaware Sustainable Coastal Communities Initiative, and the University of Delaware Landscape Architecture Program.
The report – put together by university students – hones in on issues like rising sea levels, conservation and creating new community spaces.
UD assistant professor and CRDS director Zach Hammaker said the students evaluated earlier reports and studies.
“Oftentimes, there's a lot of other things that are a lot more qualitative, and the community is extremely useful in showcasing that and helping the students ground their work,” Hammaker said.
The report suggests further developing trails in the area to create the Milton Wheel, connecting walking and biking trails in the area.
He also said the studio often works for areas with limited resources.
“We want those projects to not just be one-off solutions or one type of solution, but actually to be able to do more good per dollar,” Hammaker said.
The team surveyed locals for priorities, which include more small businesses, waterfront harnessing and trail connection.
The report suggests creating several parks and a StormTrap for runoff treatment and to store water. It also proposes including land in parks that leaves room for flooding.
“That's sort of the whole premise of resilience, is being able to actually not only respond to an emergency, but actually to adapt and bounce back from it,” Hammaker said.
The team will deliver its final report prepared in November and hopes to speak with the town council and mayor about it.
