Urbanization and barrier islands

Source: beg.utexas.edu

Barrier islands provide a critical (and fragile) natural defense against wave action, swells, storm surges, and coastal storms. In the United States these unique geological features border the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, while on the Atlantic Coast they can be found from Florida northward to New York State. They can also be found along portions of Mexico’s Gulf and Caribbean coasts as well as around Cuba. While found around the globe, long barrier islands do not seem to be quite as prevalent of a geographic, geologic, or topographic phenomenon outside of North America.

Developed barrier island – Source: licensing.pixels.com

For those cities located either wholly or largely on barrier islands, there are a number of specialized planning issues which are unique to urban settings, not the least of which is the need for large-scale emergency evacuation plans in event of a tsunami warning or due to severe storms such as hurricanes and Nor’easters. Other important planning issues which are unique to many island communities, but particularly narrow barrier islands, include, but are not limited to:

• Access to/from the mainland is necessary via bridges, causeways, tunnels, air service, or ferry.
• Limited land available for transportation corridors paralleling the coastline which can lead to congested traffic during peak periods.
• Limited options for on-island public water well resources and/or sanitary sewer treatment facilities.
• Finding inland locations necessary for sanitary waste disposal.
• Preservation and conservation of the fragile ecosystem which protect the nearby mainland from storms.
• Potential for flooding and inundation from rising tides, from increasing ocean levels, and from storm surges coming from multiple directions.
• Dune protection and beach erosion.
• Rare flora and fauna on the islands as well as the adjacent bays, marshes, lagoons, and tidal flats.
• Extent of impervious surface coverage.

Satellite view of Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico – Source: com-hd.net

Here’s a list of the largest cities in North America which are located totally on or almost entirely on barrier islands along with their 2010 population or most recent estimate (minimum 2,500 residents). Whenever possible, cities which became situated on islands due to human made projects like the Intracoastal Waterway are not included in the list.

1. Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico: 169,466
2. Miami Beach, Florida: 91,026
3. Coney Island (part of New York City), New York: approx, 60,000
4. Galveston, Texas: 47,743
5. Atlantic City, New Jersey: 39,558
6. Hilton Head, South Carolina: 37,675
7. Long Beach, New York: 33,395
8. Sunny Isle Beach, Florida: 20,832
9. Fort Walton Beach Florida: 20,597
10. Marco Island, Florida: 16,413
11. Wilmington Island, Georgia: 15,138
12. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 14,118
13. St. Simons Island, Georgia: 13,381
14. Destin, Florida: 13,264
15. Key Biscayne, Florida: 12,832
16. Isla Mujeres, Mexico: 12,642
17. Ocean City, New Jersey: 11,701
18. Fernandina Beach, Florida: 11,592
19. Cocoa Beach, Florida: 11,325
20. Ventnor City, New Jersey: 10,650
21. Satellite Beach, Florida: 10,333
22. Cape Canaveral, Florida: 9,988
23. Brigatine, New Jersey: 9,450
24. St. Pete Beach, Florida: 9,346
25. Palm Beach, Florida: 8,649
26. Skidaway Island, Georgia: 8,341
27. Indian Harbour Beach, Florida: 8,290
28. Ocean City, Maryland: 7,102
29. Longboat Key, Florida: 7,082
30. Oak Island, North Carolina: 6,783
31. Treasure Island, Florida: 6,768
32. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina: 6,683
33. Fort Myers Beach, Florida: 6,676
34. Siesta Key, Florida: 6,565
35. Sanibel, Florida: 6,469
36. Margate City, New Jersey: 6,354
37. Lauderdale-by-the Sea, Florida: 6,391
38. Isla Aguada, Mexico: 6,204
39. Miramar Beach, Florida: 6,146
40. Surfside, Florida: 5,744
41. Wildwood, New Jersey: 5,325
42. Madeira Beach, Florida: 4,320
43. Indian Rocks Beach, Florida: 4,179
44. Mary Esther, Florida: 4,141
45. Isle of Palms, South Carolina: 4,133
46. North Wildwood, New Jersey: 4,041
47. Holmes Beach, Florida: 3,836
48. Port Aransas, Texas: 3,380
49. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina: 3,272
50. Wildwood Crest, New Jersey: 3,270
51. Melbourne Beach, Florida: 3,137
52. Tybee Island, Georgia: 2,990
53. Seaside Heights, New Jersey: 2,887
54. South Padre Island, Texas: 2,816
55. Nags Head, North Carolina: 2,757
56. Indiatlantic, Florida: 2,755
57. Pensacola Beach, Florida: 2,738
58. Folly Beach, South Carolina: 2,617
59. Bal Harbour, Florida: 2,613

Nearly all of the communities listed above are part of a much larger urbanized region such as New York City, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Houston, Corpus Christi, Savannah, Charleston, Pensacola, Melbourne, Fort Myers, Naples, Brownsville, and Atlantic City. Any localized planning efforts associated with the developed barrier islands must also take into account the regional impacts to adjacent and nearby mainland cities.

SOURCES: 

• en.wikipedia.org
• http://coastalcare.org/2014/02/east-floridas-barrier-islands-natural-vs-man-made/
• https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zMUHiUU-Ju88.khCGDwLr-KDE&hl=en_US