Judy Huynh

News Break: Hoboken, sitting on the Hudson River’s edge, has long faced challenges from flooding, especially during heavy rains and hurricanes. The city has implemented a comprehensive flood management system, including the installation of flood pumps, rain gardens, and the elevation of critical infrastructure. Hoboken was also one of the first cities in the U.S. […]

Highlands Current: In the wake of Sandy, the state held a competition called Rebuild by Design that is now an initiative based at New York University. One project that Fraioli praises is Living Breakwaters: 2,400 feet of stone and concrete shield Staten Island from storm surges, reduce erosion and provide habitat for oysters, which act

NJ: The poll, which was conducted in partnership with Rebuild by Design and the Environmental Defense Fund, shows broad support across party lines. Sixty-six percent of voters say the state government should do more to mitigate weather-related damage. While Democrats show stronger support at 78%, more than half of Republicans at 53% also favor increased

FDU: With devastating floods becoming more common in New Jersey, three-quarters of voters (77 percent) now say that they are concerned about damage from extreme weather events. In the latest results from the FDU Poll, in partnership with Rebuild by Design and the Environmental Defense Fund, voters also say that the state should be doing

Dezeen: The US Housing and Urban Development launched Rebuild by Design, under the America Competes Act, calling for international, interdisciplinary design teams at the centre of rebuilding between local governments, the private sector and community interests.

NY Times: The superstorm prompted a novel initiative by the Obama administration to jump-start projects in and around New York that would fortify coastlines and, in the process, improve the social fabric and public space of targeted neighborhoods. The city and state embraced, among other projects, a proposal that focused on a lengthy swath of

Wallpaper: Government responses to disasters have also resulted in architecture focused on future mitigation. In June 2013, just 8 months after Hurricane Sandy flooded 17% of New York City destroying or damaging 650,000 homes, President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force launched Rebuild by Design, a competition in partnership with US housing and Urban Development

Inside Climate News: The forecast already has proof of being true, as Vermont is now one of the top 10 states in declaring federal disasters from extreme weather, despite being one of the smallest and least populated. A February study from Rebuild by Design shows that Washington County, Vermont—which includes Plainfield, Barre and the state’s

The Cool Down: Elsewhere, policymakers and researchers are working on long-term solutions, such as updating building codes, restoring wetlands to absorb storm surge, and supporting a shift to cleaner energy to slow the warming trend. Groups like Rebuild by Design and Resilient Cities Catalyst are helping communities plan for more resilient infrastructure.