The New Resilient City:
Infrastructure Meets Community Fabric

REBUILD BY DESIGN
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Source: Dan Nguyen/SIRR Report
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Outer borough impacts…beach

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Source: Getty
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Source: Irene Plagianos/DNA info
Source: Suzanne DeChillo/The New6York Times
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Outer Borough Impacts…buildings

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Source: CGC76/Flickr
Outer borough impacts…beach

Source: MTA
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Source: Mario Alias/Flickr
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Source: 2012 CBS Interactive 11
Outer borough impacts…beach

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There were lots of people helping
other people

Source: CAAAV

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FEMA June 2013 Flood Maps

100-YEAR FLOODPLAIN*
1983
FIRMs

2013
PWMs

Change
(%)

Residents

218,000

398,000

82%

Jobs

214,000

271,000

27%

Buildings

36,000

68,000

89%

Floor Area
(SF)

377M

534M

42%

100-Year Floodplain: V Zone (FEMA 2013 PWMs)
100-Year Floodplain: A Zone (FEMA 2013 PWMs)
500-Year Floodplain (FEMA 2013 PWMs)
* Numbers are rounded for clarity

CONFIDENTIAL

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Flood Maps in 2020s and 2050s

100-YEAR FLOODPLAIN*
2013
PWMs
398,000

801,000

101%

Jobs

271,000

430,000

59%

Buildings

68,000

114,000

68%

Floor Area
(SF)

* Numbers are rounded for clarity

Change
(%)

Residents

CONFIDENTIAL

2050s
Projected

534M

855M

60%

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Top Ten High-Water Events at the Battery, 1900-2012

Note:

Among top 10 high
water marks at the
Battery since 1900, all
are post-1950

Sandy eclipsed the previous record, set in 1960, by almost 40%
Source: UCAR/ NCAR, NOAA

CONFIDENTIAL

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Cost and Likelihood of Future Storms

Likelihood of a $19B
storm (like Sandy) will
grow 17% by the 2020s
and 40% by the 2050s
~$90B

~$35B
1/50

~$19B
1/60

Likely loss of 1/70-year
storm (like Sandy) will
grow to $35B by the
2020s and $90B by the
2050s (in current
dollars)

1/70

Likelihood of Damage (%) (Return Period, 50 = 1/50 years)
Source: Swiss Re model

CONFIDENTIAL

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REBUILD BY DESIGN 18
DRAFT

Dutch River Delta
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NYC: 68,000 buildings in the 100-year floodplain
40% impractical or infeasible to elevate
CONFIDENTIAL

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REBUILD BY DESIGN 23
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REBUILD BY DESIGN 25
Credit: Photos of Old America, 1999

CONFIDENTIAL

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Credit: Photos of Old America, 1999

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DRAFT

San Antonio Riverwalk
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Neighborhood Retail and Services

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CONFIDENTIAL

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HR&A Advisors, Inc. | Cooper, Robertson &
Partners

REBUILD BY DESIGN| 33

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Blending and Layering Resiliency

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BLENDING RESILIENCY INTO DESIGN
Retreat
Redundancy
Hardening
Accommodation

Habitat
Restoration
Biodiversity
Climate Adaptation
Water Quality

Outdoor Recreation
Waterfront Access
Open Space
BLENDING RESILIENCY INTO DESIGN

Accommodation
Hardening
Habitat Restoration
Water Quality
Waterfront Access
Open Space

Resiliency

Sustainability

Resiliency is not the sole driver…
REDUCING RISK

LAYERS OF RESILIENCY
3) Buildings

2) Infrastructure
1) Coastal

THREAT

PROTECTING ASSETS
REDUCING RISK

PROTECTIVE LAYERS WITHIN INFRASTRUCTURE
1) Ingress prevention

2) Infrastructure

2) Compartmentalization
and Water Removal
3) Critical Facilities
Protection

PROTECTING ASSETS

THREAT
Large-Scale Coastal Protection

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1992

1995

Coney Island, NY
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Coney Island Beach Nourishment
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CONFIDENTIAL

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Parks and the Public Realm

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Building Adaptation

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Arverne-by-the-Sea
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Raised site and flood protection
BUILDING and STREET ADAPTATION
Programs to assist when investment costs more than the
buildings

CONFIDENTIAL

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BUILDING and STREET ADAPTATION
Policy levers to reduce carbon and provide local benefits

CONFIDENTIAL

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BUILDING and STREET ADAPTATION
Area-wide strategies

Special Initiative for
Rebuilding and Resiliency
Community-Based Adaptation Services

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Communities devastated by Sandy
continue to suffer from isolation from
discussions about recovery and
resilience.

Proposal: establish long-term local
hubs integrating recovery assistance
(like Build It Back), agency services (like
building permits) and facilitation of
long-term planning for resilience.
Innovation and Resilience through
Regional Design

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PROCESS / TALENT / FUNDING

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Priorities
for Creating
a Livable
and
Resilient
New York
City

Mobilize Existing Resources
and Diverse Expertise.

Strengthen Local Capacities.
Invest In Flexible And Adaptive
Infrastructure.

Lead With Policies That
Sustain Resilience.
mas.org/urbanplanning/resilience/
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@MASNYC

The New Resilient City