Saving Lower Manhattan

After Hurricane Sandy devastated Lower Manhattan in 2012, a federal grant competition sought out resilience projects that would protect East River Park and the surrounding neighborhood from future storms and flooding. A major recipient was a plan called the BIG U, which proposed natural barriers and berms that would allow occasional flooding and protect buildings. But rather than going ahead with the project, writes Michael Kimmelman, the city pulled the plug in 2018, citing cost concerns and proposing an alternate plan that would raise the coastline by adding more landfill instead. 

Kimmelman outlines the history of East River Park and the public housing developments dotting the East River waterfront, and describes the community activists working to develop resilience plans for the area. After years of public consultation, the city's decision to change the proposed plan at the last minute and disregard community input has led to a contentious debate over the future of the area. The controversy divided the community and slowed progress on essential infrastructure needed to protect local residents and buildings.

Kimmelman describes the situation as a tension between community input and perceived expertise, between the inclusion of all voices and the urgent need for flood mitigation measures. After multiple delays due to lawsuits, design changes, and the pandemic, the city is moving forward with its new plan, scheduled for completion in 2026. The new levee is projected to protect the neighborhood until 2050.

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