FORT LAUDERDALE — The city has launched a new incentive program to prompt waterfront residents to install eco-friendly seawalls by offering funds to offset permitting costs.

The $50,000 permit fee assistance initiative supports projects meant to improve water quality, strengthen environmental resilience, reduce wave energy and bolster marine biodiversity and habitat. The program aligns with the city’s broader infrastructure and resiliency objective.

Traditionally, residential waterfront properties have relied on either concrete panel or vinyl seawalls, according to Jena Robbins, co-owner of JJ Marine & Environmental, an environmental consulting and marine permitting firm she operates with Joshua Scheib.

While marine organisms eventually attach to standard concrete seawalls because of their rough surface texture, vinyl seawalls are generally smoother and tend to support less marine growth.

Living seawalls offer an alternative approach by incorporating additional texture and three-dimensional habitat features that more closely replicate natural-environment elements, Robbins said.

One benefit is a growing oyster population, which is considered valuable both ecologically and economically. Oysters improve water quality by filtering plankton and suspended particles, while oyster reefs provide habitat for fish and invertebrates and help protect shorelines from erosion.

“These systems can help encourage attachment and use by marine organisms while also enhancing the ecological value of the shoreline,” Robbins said. “We’ve definitely seen more interest lately in living seawalls.”

Robbins expects adoption of the technology to increase as more waterfront property owners become aware of the water-quality improvements, habitat creation opportunities, and broader ecological benefits these systems can provide.

“Programs like this are also a great way to educate the public on how individual waterfront properties can contribute to the overall health of our waterways,” Robbins said of the city’s initiative.

Miami-based Kind Designs has helped raise awareness of living seawalls and their environmental benefits in an accessible way for municipalities and property owners alike, Robbins said. Using fast, high-resolution 3D-printing robots, the company replaces traditional seawalls with structures designed to function as thriving marine habitats.

Kind Designs' Living Seawalls were named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025.

The systems are structurally comparable to traditional concrete seawall panels but use environmentally friendly materials, transforming seawalls into coastal defense systems with healthy artificial reefs. Their designs, inspired by mangrove roots and oyster beds, are intended to better dissipate wave energy while supporting marine life.

Fort Lauderdale city commissioners approved the program in early May. Funding will be distributed on a first-come, first-qualified, first-serve basis. Of the $50,000 total, $25,000 is designated for single-family residential projects, while the remaining $25,000 is allocated to commercial projects, including condominiums and townhomes.

Maximum assistance is capped at $3,500 per residential project and $7,000 per commercial project.

Eligible seawalls must be permanent structures composed of at least 51 percent "living" elements and raised to the latest North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) elevation standards in accordance with the city's current development regulations.

Once the program is formally implemented, property owners may apply for the Living Seawall Permit Fee Assistance Program through the City of Fort Lauderdale's website at www.fortlauderdale.gov.

The initiative proposes a 100 percent discount on seawall building permit base fees, which are calculated at 1.75 percent of the project's job cost value.

Applications must be submitted as part of the seawall permit package to both the Development Services Department and the Public Works Department through the chief waterway officer, who will review the living seawall components to determine eligibility.