WXY/West 8
New Jersey

The Hudson River (Hoboken – Manhattan) design opportunity is positioned around a greater ecological awareness in the Hudson River area that could create a framework for building conditions for the future.

Much of the Hudson River is a coastal tidal estuary that fluctuates in elevation the same way the ocean does. Prior to its banks’ settlement, the Hudson River was bordered by marshland that would flood twice a day at high-tide. Now that the regions flanking the river are settled, natural flooding is a dangerous and unwanted condition. As Manhattan and Hoboken deal with their various response mechanisms, it should be well understood that there will be flooding, and that the coastal conditions must respond.

Opportunities for a greater ecological awareness in the Hudson River area create a framework for building conditions for the future. With a greater understanding of coastal ecologies, public projects and design challenges can be met with an informed view, and possibly be shared across political and municipal boundaries.