Why New York Must Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Water

Justin Davidson argues that New York's ability to adapt to the effects of climate change will rely on the city learning to embrace nature rather than vainly trying to fight it.

1 minute read

November 5, 2012, 6:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


How should New York plan for a more resilient city in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy? Build massive barriers as Governor Andrew Cuomo and experts have suggested? "Like most cities, New York is built to beat back the sea's spasms
of violence, not to absorb them," says Davidson. But what if, instead, New Yorkers, like
Venetians, learn to become comfortable with the occasional flood?

"Imagine, instead, a city that learns to embrace nature rather than
vainly try to fight it," suggests Davidson. "The streets of low-lying areas are paved with
permeable surfaces, allowing floodwaters to seep through rather than
slosh into basements. Tall grasses dance in a spongy buffer zone of
marshland, stretching from the built edge out into the waterways.
Scattered in the Upper Bay are archipelagos of tiny artificial islands
and floating piers - speed bumps for a storm surge. Beneath the waves,
submerged reefs made of old subway cars and oyster beds help diffuse
hard-charging currents, and at the same time host an abundance of marine
life. In that New York, we will watch the sea come in, serenely
confident that it will make an orderly retreat, leaving our vital
systems unmolested and our streets unbesmirched."

Friday, November 2, 2012 in New York Magazine

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

4 hours ago - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

5 hours ago - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

6 hours ago - Urban Edge