Along the shoreline at Maximo Park, clusters of concrete oyster balls offer a glimpse at how St. Petersburg could rethink its approach to flooding.
The artificial reefs break up wave energy and help slow erosion. City officials are now considering whether projects like that, along with rain gardens, bioswales, living shorelines and strategically planted trees, should become a routine part of how St. Petersburg builds roads, drainage systems and other public infrastructure.
The goal is not to replace the pipes, pumps and other traditional systems tasked with keeping a low-lying coastal city dry. Officials are looking at where natural features could supplement them…