Vox and Curbed provide multi-media coverage of a Staten Island sea wall project as an example of the necessity of resilient infrastructure, and the shortcomings of our ability to predict the needs of the built environments in changed climates.
Sister sites Vox and Curbed teamed up for a video and news article collaboration on the subject of New York City's plans to protect Staten Island from sea level rise and climate change by building a massive barrier.
According to the original article, written by Nathan Kensinger for Curbed, the South Shore of Staten Island Coastal Storm Risk Management Project would build a 5.3-mile long barrier from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach. "The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is now planning to break ground on this $615 million project in 2020, and expects it to be finished in approximately four years," according to Kensinger.
The project is "staggering in scope," according to Kensinger: "It will include a 4.3-mile seawall with a public promenade built on top, one mile of levees and floodwalls, and more than 180 acres of newly excavated stormwater detention ponds. The project encompasses an area with over 30,000 residents and 7,300 structures, and will protect some of the coastal neighborhoods that suffered the worst damage during Hurricane Sandy, including Arrochar, South Beach, Ocean Breeze, Graham Beach, Midland Beach, New Dorp Beach, and Oakwood Beach."
Kensinger's longread coverage of the project ranges from accounts of the devastation from Superstorm Sandy to the other big sea-level rise resilience projects in the works around New York, such as the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, which would protect a stretch of Manhattan coastline. The article is also thoroughly supplemented with illustrative photographic examples of damage from Sandy and the locations that are bound to be transformed by future resilience efforts.
The video featured above puts Staten Island's approach to sea-level rise in context of larger thinking about resilience in the face of climate change.
FULL STORY: On Staten Island, a massive barrier will rise to protect against climate change
Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Plan Released
The Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan will extend the shoreline in Lower Manhattan by up to 200 feet.
Proposed Citywide Rezoning Would Layer Resilience in New York City
With 520 miles of coastline, New York City is ready to implement the lessons of Hurricane Sandy in the zoning code for the entire city.
Managed Retreat in New York City
More and more New Yorkers will face the prospect of encroaching seas in the coming decades, and the unwanted choice of whether to stay or to go.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Private Donations Propel Early Restoration of Palisades Playground
Los Angeles has secured over $1.3 million in private funding to restore the Pacific Palisades playground months ahead of schedule, creating a modern, accessible space that supports community healing after recent wildfires.
From Blight to Benefit: Early Results From California’s Equitable Cleanup Program
The Equitable Community Revitalization Grant (ECRG) program is reshaping brownfield redevelopment by prioritizing projects in low-income and environmental justice communities, emphasizing equity, transparency, and community benefits.
Planting Relief: Tackling Las Vegas Heat One Tree at a Time
Nevada Plants, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, is combating the city’s extreme urban heat by giving away trees to residents in underserved neighborhoods, promoting shade, sustainability, and community health.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Ascent Environmental
Borough of Carlisle
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service