This month, the project team shared project components and alternatives with South End residents and other stakeholders. The event was organized as a “virtual site tour,” with stations set up so that participants could follow the path of water from upland areas down to Seaside Park and the Long Island Sound. At each station, the design team provided details on the form and function of the proposed interventions:  stormwater retention parks or raised streets. Participants were encouraged to ask questions, share concerns, and suggest ideas and insights that will drive the design process in the coming months. 

The design team is working with the community to make progress toward identifying the pilot project. The team also developed a deeper understanding of the ways in which identified projects would affect the flow of stormwater, combined sewers, and quality of life throughout the project area. At the meeting, Resilient Bridgeport distributed its second broadsheet, focused on the theme of “Adaptation at the Water’s Edge.” In addition, Resilient Bridgeport announced that the project archive, with materials from previous public events as well as other important resources is available online.

Resilient Bridgeport scheduled a meeting on September 29 for the design team to present specifically to the Marina Village community, whose residents will be most directly affected by the proposed project. In addition, design team and outreach team representatives have joined discussions and presented at a range of other events, including an evening session with Seaside Village residents, as well as the South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone.

At the strategy scale, the design team is beginning to integrate area plans developed during earlier workshops in order to arrive at the strategies for the overall study area that will be the basis for the Resilient Bridgeport plan. In the coming months, the team will focus on further analysis of these strategies, in order to understand better the impact of the proposed strategies on streetscapes, public spaces, ecology, economic development, and hydrology.