The Waterfront Alliance’s annual Waterfront Conference – now in its 15th year – is the region’s premier forum exploring the challenges of and solutions to climate change, sustaining a strong maritime industry and regional economy, equitable access at our waterfronts and to our shared waterways, and a healthier open-space environment. Communities across the country are increasingly preparing for the new age of weather due to human-caused climate change. As actions are globally undertaken to limit the scale of climate change, greater attention must be paid to redesigning communities, enhancing their ability both to adapt to conditions that are becoming a “new normal” and to recover from climate impacts in a resilient manner. Infusions of federal and state funding for our region offer chances for major change unlike any other in recent time. We have a once in a generation opportunity to ensure we prepare for the climate future, invest in vital infrastructure, and support the needs of the most vulnerable.