Johanna Lawton

In response to the 2019 Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study, in December 2021, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) released the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, a “blueprint for comprehensive flood defense infrastructure to protect Lower Manhattan from the urgent threat of climate change,” including

The Battery Park City Resilience (BPCR) projects consist of an integrated coastal flood risk management system that addresses storm surge and sea level rise in Battery Park City (BPC). The system will be implemented in three discrete projects: The South BPC Resiliency Project (SBPCR); the BPC Ball Fields & Community Center Resiliency Project; and the

The Battery Coastal Resilience project will rebuild and elevate the wharf promenade in The Battery by approximately six feet to protect it from projected sea level rise into the year 2100. The project is intended to ensure that when complete the LMCR projects will operate as a unified system of coastal flood risk reduction, connecting

In the Two Bridges neighborhood of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge Montgomery Coastal Resilience (BMCR) project will install a combination of flood walls and deployable flip-up barriers along the waterfront from the Brooklyn Bridge to Montgomery Street, to protect the neighborhood from projected 100-year storm surge in the 2050s, while maintaining access and visibility to the

The East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project will reduce coastal flood risk on Manhattan’s East Side through an integrated 2.4-mile system of raised parkland, floodwalls, berms, and movable floodgates. The project’s largest section is East River Park, and the project also includes sewer system upgrades to better manage runoff during heavy storms, public space and

The vision for the BIG U that began with the Rebuild by Design competition has given way to the planning, design, and implementation of various sections of this continuous flood infrastructure spanning multiple community boards. The funded plans span from East 25th Street on the East Side to Chambers Street on the West Side, for

The Meadowlands project builds off the New Meadowlands vision to address a low-lying 5,000 acre area on the Hackensack River that encompasses Little Ferry, Teterboro, Moonachie, South Hackensack, and Carlstadt. The strategy aims to reduce flood risk by managing water flows, cultivate ecology with native plantings, and energize the community through public area improvements. To

The Rebuild by Design Hudson River Project will address flood-prone areas in Hoboken, Weehawken, and Jersey City against storm surge, flash floods, and rising sea levels through a four-part strategy: Resist, Delay, Store, and Discharge. The Resist intervention aims to reduce coastal storm surge risks; Delay focuses on policy recommendations and green infrastructure to slow