Today, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) released The Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan – a shared city-community vision for a resilient 21st century waterfront grounded in climate science, engineering and feasibility testing, a critical component of the overall Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) planning effort.
At the core of New York City’s transportation systems, economy and civic life, Lower Manhattan is a destination and gateway for workers, residents and visitors across the city, region and world. As the city’s first working waterfront, the Seaport was the birthplace of its maritime economy—a cutting-edge center of commerce with an integral relationship to the water. Today, its climate risks are clear: daily tidal flooding, coastal storms, extreme precipitation and extreme heat will only increase. Without action, parts of the neighborhood will flood monthly by the 2040s and almost daily by the 2080s.
Working closely with Lower Manhattan community members and stakeholders, the team assembled the Climate Coalition of Lower Manhattan (CCLM) to actively shape the plan. As a member of the consultant team led by Arcadis, SCAPE played a critical role in urban design; ecological design; landscape and open space strategies; access and circulation; and stakeholder and public engagement over an iterative, two-year design process.
Layering benefits—risk reduction infrastructure, stormwater management and drainage infrastructure, resilient maritime assets, restored marine ecosystems, public amenities and flexible use—the plan envisions a 21st century waterfront that restores the vibrancy and activity of the shoreline while preparing it for the reality of a climate-changed future.
Read NYCEDC’s press release here.
Download the full report on the project website here.