Design for Deglaciation: Spatial Protocols, Anticipatory Planning and Scenarios of Land Use for a Disappearing Cryosphere

As glaciers melt, landmasses that had been concealed for thousands of years are rapidly revealed. Uncharted and unprotected, these new landscapes are contested, subject to divergent demands from extraction and production to conservation and preservation. What could responsible development look like? Through field work, site analysis, and a participatory  multi-stakeholder planning process, this project will develop a multifaceted framework for land use and give spatial dimension to the unique ecologies, identities, and landforms at risk. Using Vatnajökull in Iceland as a case study, the project will develop spatial protocols and scenarios for adaptation that will advance the protection and management of these post-glacial landscapes and develop proof-of-concepts for similar sites in the Arctic.