France 24: This coming spring the City of New York will start the construction of the BIG U – a protective system to prevent flooding in Lower Manhattan.

“We need to create a barrier above the height of the future flood,” said Simon David, one of the architects behind the project. “It changes according to the specific conditions along Manhattan. “Sometimes it’s a levy, sometimes it’s a wall, sometimes it’s a gate which can go up and down so roads can go through it. But in effect, they combine to create a continuous barrier to the ocean.” Watch here>>