Archinect: The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) have released the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, a framework for comprehensive flood defense infrastructure to fortify Lower Manhattan in response to the increasing threat of climate change. 

The plan is projected to cost $5 to $7 billion and will reimagine almost one mile of shoreline from The Battery to the Brooklyn Bridge with a resilient waterfront that can withstand severe coastal storms and rising sea levels. Based on the New York City Panel on Climate Change 90th percentile projections, noted in NYCEDC’s announcement, rising tides by the 2050s are expected to flood the Financial District and Seaport monthly and then daily by the 2080s. In addition, some level of frequent tidal flooding is likely to be seen as early as the 2040s. 

The master plan features a multilevel waterfront that extends the shoreline of the East River by up to 200 feet from its existing location. The upper level will be elevated by approximately 15 to 18 feet to protect against severe storms, while also serving to provide public open spaces. The lower level will be a continuous waterfront esplanade, raised three to five feet to protect against sea level rise. The NYCEDC projects that if no action is taken, repetitive flooding will cause up to $20 billion in estimated losses to reason from now until 2100. Read more>>