New York City is planning to expand Manhattan into East River to battle climate change

• Climate change is the greatest threat New York City faces today.

• In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, flooding 17% of the city’s land, and killing 44 lives.

• The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) have approved a team lead by Arcadis, a Netherlands-based design and engineering firm, to develop the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan.

• By the 2050s, 37 % of buildings in Lower Manhattan will be at risk from storm surge. 

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The master plan is building off of a $10 billion proposal unveiled by Mayor Bill de Blasio in March that positioned the effort as part of a multi-pronged plan to prevent storm surge and rising sea level from inundating Manhattan.

The Seaport and Financial District pose an especially daunting challenge, NYCEDC officials say, because of the area’s low-lying topography—it’s just eight feet ( 2.44 m ) above sea level—and the web of crucial transportation and sewage infrastructure below, which makes digging down unfeasible.

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That framework will present locals with a handful of options for expanding the shoreline of those neighbourhoods as much as 500 feet into the waterway with the goal of zeroing in on a single concept to defend the area against climate change. The team was assembled to encourage out-of-the-box thinking that officials hope will lead to an innovative approach.

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Source: CURBED

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