An eight-day November trip to three cosmopolitan European cities will help Charleston leaders better understand how to develop Union Pier so it fits in and deals with rising waters, according to those who are going.
“It’s the furthest thing from a junket you can imagine,” said Charleston City Council member Mike Seekings, who went on a study trip a few years back to Amsterdam to understand how the Dutch deal with water. “It is literally a research trip.”
Later he emphasized, “If you can do it, why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to see what’s been done so you can maximize your opportunities here?”
Winslow Hastie, president and CEO of the Historic Charleston Foundation, said his goals for the trip were “to see exemplary projects and learn from them to see what ideas can be imported to Charleston and then finding alignment amongst the group about the overarching civic values and vision for Union Pier.”
Few details made public
Details of the trip, however, are murky with the city of Charleston releasing only general information, no itinerary, no travel details or numbers about costs. It is clear, however, that non-government participants are expected to cover their own costs, including commercial airfare. Seekings said he was paying his own way.
The eight-day trip to London, Amsterdam and Copenhagen starts Nov. 3. According to sources, participants will include Hastie, Seekings, Charleston Mayor William Cogswell, Special Adviser Josh Martin, City Planner Christopher Morgan, Preservation Society of Charleston President and CEO Brian Turner, architect Christian Sottile and Miller Harper, who is leading redevelopment efforts for Beemok, the company that owns the Union Pier property. A representative from the Coastal Conservation League was invited but reportedly had a travel conflict.
“We are going into this very independently, kind of like the Dutch Dialogues was last time [when we were] trying to learn more about this stuff,” said Preservation Society of Charleston spokesman Sam Spence.
According to a press release, the trip will focus on sustainable waterfront development, resilient infrastructure and responsible tourism management.
In early 2026, Beemok will convene follow-up meetings to review findings and identify practical applications for Charleston’s ongoing waterfront planning efforts.
“Our team has been studying Charleston in detail to inform the planning of Union Pier,” said Beemok’s Harper in a statement. “We are excited to also look at examples from around the world and learn how others have integrated incremental growth in established historic neighborhoods, built resilient communities and created vibrant public spaces to bring the best ideas back to Charleston.”
While an itinerary was not available at press time, participants said they expected to tour places along waterfronts that used smart development strategies.
“We’re touring a variety of sites in London, including Poundbury outside London,” said Hastie, referring to a new experimental urban extension about 130 miles southwest of London. “Then waterfront development and resiliency projects in Amsterdam, and then lastly waterfront projects in Copenhagen.”
Also in London, the team is expected to visit projects around Old Church Street, Baker Street, St. Vincent Street, Somerset House and near the King’s Cross rail hub.
Added Seekings: “What better way to see it than in three dimensions?”
Impact of the Dutch Dialogues
During the first term of former Mayor John Tecklenburg, Dutch experts visited Charleston to discuss how they deal with water. City officials also took a trip to Holland to better understand European solutions.
As reported by the City Paper’s Herb Frazier in an award-winning 2024 story, the collaboration yielded a lot of results for the Holy City:
“The Dutch solution to flood control is not confined to its iconic 17th century crescent-shaped network of canals lined with skinny houses and flat houseboats that form an inner-city drainage and transportation system in Amsterdam’s historic core.
“In the Netherlands, half the size of South Carolina with a third of it below sea level, the Dutch have devised modest, innovative ways to channel and capture water. Some of these basic ideas are being used today in Charleston’s flood-prone neighborhoods.
“Dutch water-control experts came to Charleston in 2017 to consult with city officials. That led to a 252-page ‘Dutch Dialogues’ report released in October 2019. Since then, it has guided Charleston’s planning as sea levels slowly rise.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.