Memorial Day (29 May) saw the opening of phase one of the East River Park redevelopment in New York City, with the newly opened section featuring new basketball and tennis courts, picnic and BBQ areas, a large passive lawn, a flexible use space and several hundred new trees.

The ongoing redevelopment of East River Park is part of the US$1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR) – originally known as the Big U – which focuses on protecting New York's East Side from coastal storms and tidal flooding. The project sees the park being rebuilt at an 8- to 10-ft higher elevation as part of local flood protection plans.

“Today marks another important step forward in protecting the city and revitalising our waterfront," said New York City mayor, Eric Adams. "The newly-opened section of East River Park shows what’s possible when we invest in both resilience and recreation. As part of the historic East Side Coastal Resiliency project, we’re not just building infrastructure, we’re creating a greener, safer, and more accessible future for the East Side. These new spaces reflect our commitment to climate readiness, while giving families, kids, and residents of all ages more ways to enjoy their neighborhood."

The ESCR project emerged from the US Department of Housing and Urban Developments Rebuilt by Design competition, which sought to develop innovative design solutions to increase the resilience of communities that had been impacted by Hurricane Sandy, which devastated parts of the city and killed 53 people in the state of New York.

ESCR is employing raised parkland, floodwalls, berms and 18 swinging or sliding flood gates to create a continuous line of protection against sea level rise and the growing threat of stronger, more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change. The project has been designed to improve waterfront access through reconstructed bridges and entry points and will also upgrade existing sewer systems to capture and manage precipitation during storms. The first floodgate, which is 42 feet long, 10 feet high and 32,000 pounds, was installed in February 2022.

In 2024, NYC Mayor Adams announced the completion of the first section of the ESCR between East 15th Street and Asser Levy Playground, with flood barrier walls and gates, ballfields and other public amenities.

“With the opening of the first phase of East River Park, we see the first physical manifestation of a decade-long vision: an archipelago of parks forming an elevated, undulating new landscape – a ‘Park-ipelago’ if you will,” said Bjarke Ingels, founder, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), which developed the original concept for coastal protection around lower Manhattan and was part of the ESCR design team.

“Each island of green is devoted to a use and character decided by the community. Rather than separating the city from the waterfront, we’ve designed a public realm that invites people in with new connections across the FDR, transforming flood protection into a tapestry of everyday experiences. The result is infrastructure that not only strengthens but also enhances the city’s coastline. It protects, connects, and inspires – proof that the future of our cities can be both safe from flood and full of life."

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BIG in Brooklyn

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) designed a mixed-use development in North Brooklyn that is part-residential, part-public park and part-flood defence.

The aims of the River Street Waterfront Masterplan in redeveloping the former industrial site are to improve the connectivity of the waterfront for the public, reinstate natural habitats, strengthen resiliency and transform the way people interact with the East River.

Find out more here.

Alejandro Aravena in Constitución

Pritzker Prize winning architect, Alejandro Aravena, created a masterplan for the city of Constitución after it was devastated by flooding caused by Tsuami in 2010.

Read our CLAD interview, carried out at the United Nations, which gives insights into how the project was delivered, transforming the city, its nature, public access to greenspace and its flood resilience.

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