TIDELANDS 2100, a VR experience on coastal futures in RI.

Sea levels along the U.S. East Coast are projected to rise 9 inches by 2100, already driving flooding, insurance loss, and forced relocations. Yet for communities tied to the shore through culture and livelihood, retreat is not an option. Without new narratives of resilience, the future remains unimaginable—and unprepared for.

TIDELANDS is a speculative XR project co-created with Rhode Island’s coastal residents. Using NOAA flood models, ecological scans, soundscapes, oral histories, and site-specific architecture, it builds immersive worlds that envision adaptation and thriving in place. Rather than assuming abandonment, TIDELANDS offers a counter-imaginary: what it could mean to live with rising seas.

Currently in production, TIDELANDS will move into community workshops in 2026 with partners including the Tomaquag Museum, URI, and the Providence Resilience Project. The project is designed for both local impact and global dialogue, with plans to present from Rhode Island planning forums to the UN Climate Conference (COP) in 2028.