More cities are returning waterways to a more natural state—in some cases unearthing them from subterranean pipes in a process known as "daylighting." A new example can be found, perhaps surprisingly, in New York City.
According to an article by Winnie Hu and James Thomas, there is "an enormous trove of water hidden below [New York City's] streets and high-rise buildings — hundreds of subterranean streams, creeks and springs that were buried long ago and all but forgotten as the city grew."
Among that trove is Tibbetts Brook, which is the main subject of the article because of an ambitious plan to unearth, or "daylight," the creek to improve the local stormwater infrastructure.
"The city plans to unearth the brook — an engineering feat known as 'daylighting' — at a cost of more than $130 million, because burying it in the sewer system has worsened the city’s flooding problems as a warming planet experiences more frequent and intense storms," according to Hu and Thomas.
The remnants of Hurricane Ida recently overwhelmed Tibbetts Brook in its current, subterranean form, sending water flooding into the city and inundating the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx.
According to the article, "daylighting" is reversing an earlier era's approach to stormwater infrastructure in more and more locations around the world—though New York City might be an unexpected place to see nature being restored, to a certain extent.
FULL STORY: Why New York Is Unearthing a Brook It Buried a Century Ago
A Natural Approach to Stormwater Proposed in Michigan
The realities of climate change have been on full display in Michigan this summer, and a crusading drain commissioner is pushing for stormwater infrastructure that uses natural features to capture and reuse water during extreme weather.
'Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency' Wins Planning Commission Approval in NYC
Emergency responses to Hurricane Sandy have turned into long-term lessons in New York City, as the nation's largest city crafts a response to sea-level rise and extreme weather by making changes to the zoning code of coastal areas.
Criticism for Army Corps' Houston Flood Protection Plans
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has revised a plan to protect the Houston region from flooding by tossing out a proposed tunnel and opting instead to dig Buffalo Bayou wider and deeper.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.
Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.
Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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