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New York City Begins Preparing for Climate Change on the Lower East Side

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Nicholas Vincent is a passionate environmentalist and freelance writer. He is deeply committed to promoting... Read More

flooding in the buildings in New York City

NYC’s $1.5 billion East River floodwall project, known as the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, has undergone major redesigns without community input, leading to a loss of trust. The project aims to protect Lower Manhattan from storm surges and rising sea levels, which have increased its climate vulnerabilities since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Originally designed to take a “nature as buffer” approach, the park was meant to flood during extreme weather events, but engineering challenges and a lack of communication from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration led to the project’s redesign. The revised plan cost $1.45 billion and includes a 10-foot floodwall, landfill, and a new park. The project is expected to protect 110,000 New Yorkers, including 28,000 public housing residents, from storm surge damage.

The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project is just one of several complex climate resiliency projects that aim to form a “BIG U” or “BIG J” shape from 57th Street on the West Side to the tip of Lower Manhattan and up to 42nd Street on the East Side. The Army Corps of Engineers is also planning another 27 miles of coastal barriers to protect Lower Manhattan, East Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey City, costing $61.5 billion.

Despite the complexity of these projects, community involvement is critical to their success, as demonstrated by the Lower East Side’s reaction to the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project’s redesign. The initial task force of local community boards and other stakeholders contributed to the project’s design process for over four and a half years before it was dismantled by Mayor de Blasio’s office.

Community anger led to lawsuits and a court stay that delayed completion until 2026, but the redesigned project is making progress. The park is now elevated by ten feet to simplify maintenance for the Department of Parks and Recreation and protect amenities and inland infrastructure from the expected three to six feet of sea level rise in the coming decades.

Planting coastal species and saltwater-resistant trees in the park and inland neighborhoods, which combat the urban heat island effect, are also part of the project’s strategy. These projects form a critical part of New York City’s response to Climate change and must be completed with public trust and involvement.

As New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, “Sandy wasn’t just a storm—it was a warning.” The $8.5 billion that the mayor requested in federal “pre-disaster mitigation grant funding” for climate resiliency is a down payment on the Army Corps of Engineers’ $61.5 billion 3B alternative. The proposal aims to extend the BIG J to West 34th Street and build 34 miles of coastal barriers along East Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey City.

Public feedback is crucial, and the Army Corps of Engineers is accepting comments until March 31, 2023. It’s essential to learn from the Lower East Side’s experience and involve the community in every stage of these projects. As individuals, we can also take action by supporting and advocating for climate resiliency efforts in our communities and pressuring our elected officials to take bold action against Climate change. Together, we can build a more resilient and sustainable future.