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. 2025 Jul;54(7):1199-1212.
doi: 10.1007/s13280-025-02142-8. Epub 2025 Mar 25.

Beyond retreat: Land-seascape legacies of change and continuation

Christina Hanna  1 , Iain White #  2 , Raven Cretney #  3 , Pip Wallace  2
Affiliations

Beyond retreat: Land-seascape legacies of change and continuation

Christina Hanna et al. Ambio. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Planned retreat is an increasingly common climate adaptation approach. Whilst effective at reducing exposure to unacceptable risks, it is subject to significant resistance. In response, research has focussed on risk, governance and justice, but there has been less attention on spatial perspectives, including how spaces are reconfigured and the resultant land-seascape legacies. We identify 161 cases of planned retreat and develop a typology to analyse land use change in origin sites worldwide. In many cases, we find land transfer from private to public ownership, and restoration of land and environmental relations, to a complete failure to consider spatial legacies. The research stresses the importance of moving beyond planned retreat as risk management to consider longer-term spatial relations. Consequently, we argue, the definition and practice of 'planned retreat' must include early planning for the values, uses and reconfigurations of origin sites, extending the bounds of reimagination beyond 'retreat' and beyond the site.

Keywords: Climate change adaptation; Disaster risk reduction; Land use change; Managed retreat; Planned relocation; Post-retreat.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Functional typology of global origin sites (in colour)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Loss to reimagination: Spatial legacies of retreat
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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