Brief Description

Coming Soon.

 

Integrating Historic Preservation

The City of Tarpon Springs is known internationally for celebrating its architectural, historical and cultural heritage, from the Sponge Docks of Greektown to the idyllic urban neighborhoods around Spring Bayou, to the lively commercial district that recalls its 19th-century roots as one of the earliest European-descent settlements in Pinellas County. Of course, the land was settled much earlier by indigenous cultures, drawn to this place for much the same reasons as people are today. The Gulf of Mexico, the Anclote River basin and the many bayous, streams and creeks have sculpted a remarkable relationship between water and land, creating a seeming paradise which has attracted human beings for millennia. The archaeological heritage of the Anclote River watershed reflects this story. 

 

However, the changing environmental conditions of the early 21st century are posing an existential challenge to this community that has grown up along the edges of this landscape. For a city that enjoys a healthy economic base of heritage tourism, and a wealth of heritage assets and cultural resources, these increased threats of flooding, high wind events and damaging storms, as well as the rising seas, have become more evident in the daily experiences of the residents and visitors alike. Nuisance flooding is occurring more and more often and hurricanes are increasing in both frequency and intensity. The focus of this study is to develop a plan to help the community become resilient in the face of these challenges.

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