THE RAINPROOF NYC journey
Reflecting on the working group process, here are 10 things every New Yorker should know about rainfall in NYC.
From January to June 2024, residents, nonprofits, government agencies, community organizations, schools, and the private sector have been working to identify answers to these questions to Rainproof NYC.
Learn about Rainproof NYC working groups’ collective recommendations to address this growing challenge for our city:
To read the Working Group recommendations, CLICK HERE>>
Working groups participants and members of the public crafted Rainproof NYC Principles that address:
- Equity
- Collaboration
- Infrastructure & Land Use
- Accountability
- Other
RAINPROOF CALENDAR
As part of our ongoing work to address increased heavy rain, we launched a series of events to highlight innovative solutions, lessons learned from global cities, relevant research, new books, and more.
WHAT are the RAINPROOF NYC working groups?
From January to June 2024, the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ), the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the NYC Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations, Rebuild by Design, and One Architecture & Urbanism, led the Rainproof NYC working groups that brought together individuals and organizations with expertise in various fields to identify strategies and policies to address the increasing rainfall in New York City.
The working groups, co-facilitated and composed of NYC agency staff and community leaders, identified and recommended strategies and policies to adapt to increased heavy rainfall.
Participants were selected through an open call process based on their lived or professional experience, diversity, and whether they brought a new perspective to this work. Over 300 applicants applied, and ~50 were chosen to partake in this process.
The participants represented:
- All 5 boroughs
- 12 neighborhood organizations
- 21 city, state, or federal nonprofits
- 14 city agencies, 1 state, and 1 federal agency
- 10 + academic, private, or philanthropy
Image credit: Jean Schwarzwalder, NYC DEP
RAINPROOF NYC RECOMMENDS: READ THE WORKING GROUPS' RECOMMENDATIONS TO Rainproofing nyc
Working Group 1 was tasked with addressing the question of: “How can we effectively utilize space in NYC to equitably reduce the risk from heavy rain and add value to communities?”
Their recommendations are organized within three overarching themes: Learning to Live with Water; Integrating Green & Gray Infrastructure; Improve & Expand Natural Systems.
To read Working Group 1’s recommendations, click here.
Working Group 2 was tasked with determining the parameters and best practices to inform the design of an equitable buyout program for New York City.
To read Working Group 2’s recommendations, click here.
Working Group 3 was tasked with encouraging shared ownership and accountability among government, non-profit, public, and private sectors to address the challenge of heavy rainfall.
To read Working Group 3’s recommendations, click here.
MEET THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS:
WORKING GROUP 1: How can we shift NYC’s policies and priorities to create a comprehensive plan to prepare for increasing rainfall? Address gaps in infrastructure and risk management to protect from and prepare New Yorkers for more intense precipitation.
To learn more about Working Group 1 and see the participants, click here
WORKING GROUP 2: What does an equitable buyout program look like for New York City? Inform the development of the City’s Housing Mobility & Land Acquisition Program.
To learn more about Working Group 2 and see the participants, click here.
WORKING GROUP 3: How can we build capacity among communities, the private sector, and CBO’s to share responsibility of managing increased heavy rainfall? Every drop counts. Build out an education and communications campaign to build the capacities of communities, the private sector, CBO’s, local nonprofits, and other agencies to do their part in managing increasing heavy rainfall.
To learn more about Working Group 3 and see the participants, click here.
WORKING GROUP GOALS
ADAPT TO LIVING WITH WATER by using the output from the symposium to inform a collaborative process to design programs, policies, or projects and an actionable and implementable agenda to catalyze New York City’s work forward to address increasing heavy rainfall.
UTILIZE STAKEHOLDER INPUT, expert advice, and best practices from other localities to inform programmatic components
CREATE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING of the intersection of increasing rainfall with climate justice, adaptation, housing, economic impacts, mental health, and social resilience, and a deeper understanding of local challenges and existing and new programmatic solutions.
CREATE A REPLICABLE MODEL of community and government collaboration in policy design
RAINPROOF TIMELINE AT A GLANCE
What does it mean to rainproof New york City?
Rebuild by Design and One Architecture take a hard look of the impediments to becoming rainproof in New York City.
After Hurricane Ida, Rebuild by Design invited 20 experts to write about the immediate steps New York City could take towards becoming rainproof.
Is Green-Blue infrastructure feasible in New York City? We think so! We therefore asked Ramboll to develop a business case. The study shows that for every $1 invested in Blue-Green Infrastructure in New York City, there is a $2 return on investment.
Rebuild by Design, One Architecture & Urbanism, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice held a hands-on symposium with dozens of stakeholders, 16 government agencies, and international experts to workshop solutions to drive policy and practices towards a Rainproof NYC.
RECENT PROGRESS ON STORMWATER POLICY
RAINPROOF Stormwater Glossary
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE (GI) – The range of measures that use plant or soil systems, permeable pavement or other permeable surfaces or substrates, stormwater harvest and reuse, or landscaping to store, infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce flows to sewer systems or to surface waters. (Water Infrastructure Improvement Act). Green infrastructure systems can reduce stormwater flooding.
NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE – Uses existing, restored, or enhanced ecosystems to generate infrastructure outcomes either on its own or in combination with built infrastructure. (International Institute for Sustainable Development)
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS – Sustainable planning, design, environmental management and engineering practices that weave natural features or processes into the built environment to promote adaptation and resilience. (FEMA)
SMART INFRASTRUCTURE – Uses real time data to inform and deploy systems using sensors, cameras, and other monitoring devices.
STORM SURGE – The rise in seawater level caused solely by a storm. (NOAA)
RETENTION SYSTEM – An area that stores water on a more permanent
basis. such as ponds. reservoirs, and streams.
MEET THE Steering Committee
ALAN COHN
Senior Policy & Science Advisor, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
AMY CHESTER
Managing Director, Rebuild by Design
Angela Licata
Deputy Commissioner for Sustainability, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
CHRISTIE PEALE
Executive Director, Center for NYC Neighborhoods (CNYCN)
ELIZABETH GREENSTEIN
Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations (HRO)
HAYLEY ELSZASZ
Climate Science Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Environmental Justice (MOCEJ)
JOHANNA LAWTON
Project Manager, Rebuild by Design
LOT LOCHER
International Director for Climate, One Architecture
MATTHIJS BOUW
Founding Principal, One Architecture
MELISSA ENOCH
Acting Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Environmental Planning and Analysis (BEPA), NYC Environmental Protection (DEP)
rifal imam
Rainproof NYC Fellow, Rebuild by Design
ROBERT FREUDENBERG
Vice President, Energy & Environment, Regional Plan Association (RPA)
TALLANT BURLEY
Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ)
TONYA GAYLE
Executive Director, Green City Force
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