Sea level rise, coastal erosion, increased flooding, and more frequent storms pose a threat to the long-term habitability and, in some cases, the very existence of coastal places in the U.S. and around the world. Managed retreat, the strategic relocation of people, property, and infrastructure away from the coast, has gained much attention in recent years. As a long-term approach to climate change adaptation, it is a promising option for mitigating risk in the face of increasing coastal hazards. However, managed retreat efforts in the U.S. have largely focused on the technical, physical, and economic aspects of relocation. Recent studies indicate that these government-led, technocratic approaches have resulted in confusion, conflict, and inequitable outcomes. There is, therefore, a need to better understand the social dimensions of managed retreat, including how people are connected to place and why that matters for decision-making. This dissertation explores the social, cultural, political, and psychological aspects of managed retreat in the U.S., with a focus on coastal communities located in Southern Maine.Chapter One uses a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of policy documents to examine the procedural equity implications of how federal agencies in the U.S. frame public participation in managed retreat planning and decision-making processes. Results indicate that current approaches lack consistency across agencies and reinforce the use of methods that fall on the low end of the public participation spectrum, thereby increasing the risk of manipulation or co-optation. In particular, the findings point to the total omission within the discourse of the role that power plays in the context of participation. Chapter Two investigates the dynamics of place attachment with community members from two coastal neighborhoods in the town of Wells, Maine. This study uses Photovoice, a participatory research method, to understand what long-term residents care most about in coastal places that are meaningful to them as well as what concerns they have. The results identify factors that foster attachment to place as well as those that threaten attachment. Findings help to make visible the affective dimensions of place-based values and observations of change over time. Chapter Three explores the potential for using the Photovoice method as an applied approach to aid in the process of 'place detachment' in areas where managed retreat may be an option of last resort. Results show that the Photovoice process fosters the ability of participants to reflect on their lived experience with change, to consider value trade-offs, and to engage with loss. The findings suggest that, although they are committed to staying in place for as long as possible, participants also recognize that "this place isn't forever".This dissertation demonstrates 1) a need for formalized guidelines that foster more meaningful participation in order to ensure that outcomes of managed retreat are equitable; 2) the importance of incorporating affective dimensions of place attachment in coastal management policy and planning; and 3) the value of participatory approaches like Photovoice in helping communities process the loss of places they care about and are connected to. This research builds knowledge around both the theory and practice of managed retreat that can be applied in decision-making processes by policy makers, land use planners, engagement practitioners, and coastal communities.
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