If The Bahamas rebuilds using the wisdom hard-earned on these islands over time, then the disaster of Dorian can result in a renewal of the places and buildings that have made The Bahamas world-famous, and have long driven the economy.

Sustainability takes many forms on the building and community scale in the Caribbean. Here are keys to places that stand the test of time.

Of the four types of recovery facing America cities and towns—disaster, sprawl, disinvestment, and the recovery of community for those fleeing climate change—the recovery of places from serious disinvestment arguably gets the least amount of press...