NYC SIRR Coastal Protection Plan

The interdisciplinary team worked as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR) to study large-scale harbor-wide strategies for developing coastal protection measures for the five boroughs. The consulting team collaboratively designed, sited, modeled and analyzed the performance of hard and soft coastal protection measures under multiple storm and sea level rise conditions, employing an iterative process of design exploration, modeling, analysis, and refinement of strategies. SCAPE advanced the exploration of integrating natural systems as risk-reduction infrastructure, layering strategies for enhanced coastal protection and ecosystem health. Attention was paid to the particular geomorphologic conditions of the proposed sites, financial and ecological sustainability of the system as a whole, and the viability of strategies within the regulatory and political framework of New York City. This city-scale collaborative work provides a framework for action and response to the risks of future climate change impacts and helps New York City define itself as a leader of resilient coastal design and planning.