After Superstorm Sandy, Rebuild by Design — a design competition from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and The Rockefeller Foundation — launched a project for cities and towns affected by the storm and residents to come up
After Superstorm Sandy, Rebuild by Design — a design competition from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and The Rockefeller Foundation — launched a project for cities and towns affected by the storm and residents to come up with plans for projects to make their coastlines more resilient.
Here’s a look at some of the project proposals:
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THE BIG U
THE PROJECT: The $1 billion Big U proposal calls for a 10-mile protective system around the low-lying Manhattan, from west 57th Street down to The Battery and then up to East 42nd Street. There are three distinct parts of the project that would then work together to help the entire island. A berm would protect East River Park from rising sea level while also providing waterfront access. Near Chinatown and the Two Bridges neighborhood, walls would be attached to a highway that could flip down during major flooding. And at the Brooklyn Bridge, a berm would create an elevated path and other unique landscapes.
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HOBOKEN
THE PROJECT: The $230 million project would use a mix of hard infrastructure and landscaping to help manage stormwater from flooding and storm surge. The plans call for a combination of bulkheads and seawalls, plus berms or levees that could also be used as parks. It would also include improved infrastructure to slow runoff and reduce sewage overflow and manage flooding, according to Rebuild by Design.
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NEW MEADOWLANDS
THE PROJECT: The New Meadowlands proposal would address fixes for the flood-prone area, including transforming the area into a flood-protected public park that would have a system of berms and marshes and also create connections with area towns. That could include bike lanes connected to New York. Other parts of the proposal include housing and improvements to public transportation.
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LONG ISLAND
THE PROJECT: The Living with the Bay project would create a “greenway corridor” to link communities along Long Island’s Mill River with bike paths and trails. It also includes marshes and dikes that can improve water quality, according to Rebuild by Design.
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For complete coverage of the five-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, go to https://www.apnews.com/tag/SuperstormSandy
