Preservation group puts entire city of Providence on most-endangered list Updated Jan 28, 2021; The 2021 list has a surprise — the entire city. The reason is that global issues threaten Rhode Island’s capital. “We are a river city in the Ocean State, and the impacts of climate change and sea level rise will affect Providence’s built and cultural heritage in both incremental and profound ways,” the nonprofit society said in a statement on its website Wednesday. The list is designed to get people talking about and to support historic preservation, the society said. “Incremental sea level rise threatens our many architectural, archeological, and cultural resources along the Providence River and working waterfront,” the society noted. “But we can expect increased and more severe storm activity, too.”