City Breaks Ground on First Waterfront Development After Sandy

Here's an article I found earlier today on a development in Queens, and it has some good information on lessons learned in construction following Sandy. The structure was already going to be built 10 feet above the flood plains  but they have made additional changes since the storm. Their plans have moved mechanical equipment and infrastructure above the second floor, and water-tight entrances.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130305/long-island-city/city-breaks-ground-on-first-waterfront-development-after-sandy#ixzz2Mi2sNanA

Southern Manhattan SIRR Meeting

Hi guys! Here's my summary of the SIRR meeting for what they were calling "Southern Manhattan"

SIRR identifies themselves as the long-term arm of the city bureaucracy working in post Sandy recovery. The Office of Housing Recovery is responsible for the short and intermediate-term response.  Their major work is in identification of future risks and in preparation and response. 

Their mission statement can be summed up in the following tasks and  goals:

Task 1: Mitigating the impact of climate change on the built environment.

Task 2: Community rebuilding and resiliency planning.

Goals: ensure life safety, strengthen infrastructure, and promote economic recovery.

This meeting defined Southern Manhattan as the area south of 42nd street. This area contains many neighborhoods and critical citywide infrastructure.During their initial presentation, they stated that this storm caused flooding 30% higher than any in recorded history. They compared flooding due to surge action and flood action. The former affects infrastructure rather than buildings structure.

The inundation caused by Sandy followed the fill of Manhattan and the historic marshlands. There was little  flooding due to wave action because of buffering by other land masses. This meant that Battery Park, which is built on infill, at a higher elevation  than other areas. They proposed that this is in part due to the area serving its original residential purpose. The areas affected by the tidal surge were directly to the north and south, where infill met previously established land.

The main risks the area faces in the future are storm surges, sea level rises, and heat waves. In order to prepare for these future risks, the city seeks to protect the waterfront and infrastructure also located there, from flooding. They want to see buildings protected and retrofitted to repair flooding weaknesses. They want to see the economic recovery of retail and commercial areas. 

DOB tag information: 
Borough totals:13 %  of tagged buildings were destroyed by storm 40% were red tagged because of sustained damage. 
Manhattan totals: Less than 5% of the red-tagged buildings were on Manhattan, the rest were yellow-tagged.

34% buildings red or yellow tagged buildings were out of bounds of 100 year flood plane developed in the 1980s by FEMA. 50% of the residential units and 50% of the overall buildings damaged were outside those flood plane boundaries. New flood plane maps wont be final until 2015, and they don't reflect rising sea levels.

There were several examples shown of ways to protect the waterfront while still keeping it accessible, and alterations to increase the resiliency of buildings. Examples inclduded: 

Deployabe floodwalls in the UK.
Hurricane barrier in Stanford Ct. Height of a person.
Flood wall in ky. Much higher than the Stanford wall.
Multi-level esplanade in Battery Park city.
High landscaped bank in Providence RI.
Protectable subway entrances in Chicago, and Bangkok, Thailand.

Inflatable tunnel plugs.
Deployable flood gate for storefronts in Venice, Italy
Demountable flood barrier for buildings.
Putting mechanical equipment on roof, which may require an additional water-tight structure to be constructed.
Raised building ground floors.

I identified 8 major points made in the group discussion, many of which are things we have already been talking about.

1. Evacuation plans. Areas of infrastructure to focus on inclusive power stations and sanitation.Having an accessible plan for residents and businesses, and having that plan include emergency procedures on a building and regional scale. Outlining a response kit with what people should have to be prepared beyond food and water, such as what you should have purchased from Home Depot beforehand.
2. Communication was inefficient in areas where there was no power. Could utilize pay phones as emergency communications hubs and power stations. Another group proposed solar charging stations and roving cell phone towers on cars or trucks. to target information distribution, identify areas by zip code.
3. Infrastructure lags behind in in areas where there has been a change of use of structures, such as industrial areas that are now residential. 
4. Increase the number of permeable areas and areas that will absorb the water.Waterfront parks as a barrier to surges. Proactive planning of alternate transportation such as bikes.
5. Concentration of infrastructure on the coast. Use of upper floors for emergency storage and infrastructure. Consideration and protection of the network that we rely on to receive goods and resources. Example is that gas stations had no way to receive a supply of gas, leading to high prices and long lines in some areas.
6. Education, explain climate change and preventative measures. Need to look at sustainability and mitigating the impact of climate change. 
7. Move from loans to grants and taxes. An investment tax credit, where people donate and the money can be used in recovery situations.
8. Social issues, strong ties and networks that exist with current resources. People can together and helped each other. Neighbor to neighbor help was the biggest contributor to recovery.  These networks were underutilized and could be used in prevention rather than reactions. The recovery so far has focused more on returning to the state before the storm, rather than a more rational response. 

Update on Ellis Island Museum and Statue of Liberty

Here are two articles on the status of the Statue of Liberty and the Immigration Museum!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/24/us/new-york-ellis-island-no-reopening-date/index.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ellis-island-museum-open-2013-18801866#.UVClzxysh8E

GSAPP Alumni Forum: Rise

On March 8, I attended the GSAPP Alumni Forum: Rise, which was a panel discussion led by global thought leaders from various disciplines on the relationship between climate change, extreme weather events and the built environment. The discussion was led by Andrew Revkin who is the senior fellow for environmental understanding at Pace University's Academy for Applied Environmental Studies, and also writes the Dot Earth blog for the Op-Ed section of The New York Times. The panel members consisted of: Susanna Drake, the principal of dlandstudio architecture + landscape architecture pllc, Klaus Jacob, a Senior Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Cynthia Rosenzweig, a Senior Research Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies where she heads the Climate Impacts Group, Guy Nordensen, a professor of structural engineering and architecture at Princeton University, and Jeff Orlowski, a videographer who worked with National Geographic photographer James Balog on the initial expedition of The Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), and who's footage will now appear in the documentary feature film Chasing Ice.

Something that the panelists kept mentioning was that New York has many advantages that need to be taken into consideration when adapting to climate change. They stated that, because of the damage caused by Sandy and the damage that will inevitably be caused by future storms, it does not make sense for these low-lying areas to be occupied--especially because in New York we have the ability to retreat to higher ground. Buying properties in the flood zone and prohibiting them from being redeveloped is a good first step in the right direction, but something more must be done. They suggested that some sort of mechanism, such as creating barrier islands or wetlands off the coast, be put in place to break the frequency of the waves/surge caused by storms. These barriers need to accentuate the natural ecosystem so that they can grow and become stronger over time. The New York City Parks Department is currently initiating a study on the value of creating wetlands as a barrier.

Although this idea of creating barrier islands/wetlands as a barrier seems completely feasible, the science to support this idea is missing. Also, if these barriers are built, they will work for 50-80 years, but as sea levels rise these barriers will become dysfunctional. So, whatever barriers might be created need to take into account the topography and use it as an advantage. Furthermore, a large part of the challenge lies in creating a system that can be learnt about as we go along and that will strengthen over time. Cynthia Rosenzweig commented that Sandy has marked a sort of "tipping point" where science, politics (with people such as Bloomberg, Cuomo, and Obama in office) and design creativity are aligned in New York, making it the perfect time for a viable solution to be developed.

As we have heard from almost every professional we have met with, the panelists stated that a dramatic change in infrastructure needs to occur, but that it must be addressed separately from above ground structures. A drive in policy making is also a necessity. Scientists are working very hard on research so that new policies can be made immediately, but New York is very institutionalized and is bad at translating research into action. All departments need to collaborate and do something about regulatory structures in order for policy making to become easier. We put in place rules and regulations to protect people, but they actually end up preventing people from getting things done. Something that is missing from this overall equation is the planning community seriously thinking about sea level rise.

Klaus Jacob stated that the current generation has an obligation to plan in the context of sea level rise and climate change and that a city Master Plan concept for an ever-expanding city with constant sea level rise needs to be developed. As we know, funding for these operations is also an issue. Susanna Drake mentioned the idea of establishing a National Infrastructure Fund (like the WPA), which will be funded by a tax placed on the biggest polluters.

There was a lot of repetition of things we have already heard and, as you can probably tell from my summary, there is still a lot of debate going on about what should be done, but I think that people are really thinking about it seriously and it will be interesting to see how quickly, or slowly, things get done.

SIRR Meeting 3/19 South Brooklyn

Tuesday night I went to the South Brooklyn SIRR meeting at Lincoln High School in Coney Island.  The SIRR representatives gave a quick presentation with an overview of how the area was affected as well as opportunities and challenges for the area in rebuilding.  Nate Bliss, president of the Coney Island Development Corporation, gave part of the presentation.  He showed a historical map of the area showing the familiar pattern of damage and historic shoreline.  He noted that the Army Corps of Engineers Beach Nourishment project was successful in breaking the wave action, but most flooding came from what they termed "backdoor inundation".  He highlighted the area's key concerns as: oceanfront exposure, "backdoor inundation," vulnerable housing stock, and local economic vulnerability. Neil Kittredge from architectural firm BBB then gave a short overview of design interventions that have been implemented around the world intended to provide protection against storms and sea-level rise. He emphasized that what works elsewhere would not necessarily succeed in New York.  These optioned ranged from sea walls, to wetlands revitalization to the relocation of mechanical systems to higher elevations.

The meeting then broke out into our table groups for discussion to brainstorm a list of strengths and vulnerabilities and to draw them on a map provided to each table. The discussion was lively highlighting what residents enjoyed about the area (the beach, sunshine, public transportation, sense of community) and where there were problems (poor drainage, hospitals & nursing homes affected, high-rise residential problems).  Some residents described the area "Treasures" as being the aquarium, amusement areas, boardwalk and the overall seaside environment.  Overall the residents wanted to see more natural interventions like beach nourishment and dune regrowth.  The residents at my table also wanted to emphasize the work of FEMA and other groups, specifically Occupy Sandy, that did a good job at getting immediate emergency relief to the area like food and clothing.  While all of the topics discussed are too numerous to list, the themes are familiar.

Overall the SIRR meeting seemed very productive in gathering community input for possible resiliency interventions.  I think it is a great program and the interaction between city and residents was more positive than I would have expected .  However, I did not hear much mention about historic resources other than the landmarked amusement rides, nor did I get the impression that this was the proper forum to discuss the topics of our specific concern.  While a fascinating meeting, the themes were familiar and I think outside the scope of our project.

Any thoughts?

A SWAT Team for Waterlogged Artwork

Why doesn't this exist for waterlogged historic structures?

Preservation League of New York State

After reading the article that Lindsay posted I found that the comments contained much more useful information than the article.  The Preservation League of New York State has aggregated some useful resources into an "Issue Brief Library" with a disaster specific section.  I've seen a few of these resources before but some are also new to me.

I think this is the first, definitive guide (which isn't saying much)

Historic Homes and Sandy

SIRR Meetings Please Sign Up by Leaving a Comment

Hey Guys! Here is a list of SIRR Meetings applicable to our study areas.  Please sign up to go to one of them by leaving a comment with which one you plan to attend.  And don't forget the housing workshop on the 16th, from 12-6 at 465 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island.

SIRR Schedule:
Mid and West Rockaway Peninsula, March 11, 7:30
Staten Island, March 12, 7:30
South Queens, Far Rockaway, March 18, 7:30
South Brooklyn, Coney, Brighton, Sea Gate, March 19, 7:00
Southern Manhattan, March 19, 7:00

The Wave

In case you haven't seen it, here is the local paper from the Rockaways.

Why New York's Sandy Commission Recommendations Matter

Analysis of the NYS commission report on resiliency after Sandy, including a link to the report itself (released in January).

NYC Housing Recover

New Yorkers impacted by Hurricane Sandy still face many challenges today. The storm destroyed thousands of homes and left tens of thousands more significantly damaged. This Housing Recovery site provides a centralized source of information for individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy

After Sandy, Government Lends to Rebuild in Flood Zones

WNYC and ProPublica piece on the wisdom of the government loaning money to rebuild in flood zones. Include a map of the 10,500 properties in the flood zone that have been approved for SBA loans to rebuild.

JHPA Recap

Here are my notes on the meeting at JHPA. If I missed anything, add it in the comments!

-Jen

New Orleans, New York. Thoughts on Building Typology.

Analogy to the Three Little Pigs--the masonry buildings are the ones that survive the wood ones are simply picked up and destroyed.

Tim lynch-- member of a structural engineering firm that left to work with DOB, started a forensics unit for the department of buildings to explain and predict building (structural) failures. Excavations causing problems conversation about the merchant's house.

New vs. Old construction. Example: Grain density of woods used now and then. Older woods have a much thinner but tighter grain structure.

New Orleans. Built in a basin, cant deny the water. Many buildings have little for a foundation, and rest in masonry piers. Narrow board ceilings and wide board walls. Wood buildings on masonry pier foundations with no mechanical attatchments. In the Ninth Ward, wood buildings were lifted off their foundations and carried away.

Many of the Katrina-affected structures had pre-existing damage, like termites. Northern woods used in their construction had no natural defense to insects (such as a tropical wood like cyprus would have). So, many of the buildings were in bad condition when the storm hit. It was a combination of bad materials and bad maintenance.

Habitat for humanity built raised shotgun plan houses on reinforced concrete foundations. They put all mechanical systems above the waterline, too. Houses were built 4ft above ground level to meet code. 

In many cases, the first step coming into a storm-damaged city is removing buildings from FEMA's demolition list. Example of 200 yr old house written off by a person with no prior experience without leaving her car for a fallen chimney top. It is generally in the interest of the city for more damage to be written off because they get more money. The system is flawed and needs a huge turnaround.

New York and Sandy: Ellis island hit hard. Battery island Ferry terminal, sister to Hoboken ferry terminal which they have conceded will just periodically flood.

Schermerhorn row. Completely devastated, have to get creative in prevention.

MUST HAVE RATIONAL REACTION!! 
slow dry of Mast Chocolate and Bowne & Co. printing. Wood was expanding and buckling upward. Did not believe they would return to normal. Initial response was to seal and dehumidify asap. Irrational initial reaction! Well meaning but misguided help. New Orleans buildings, volunteers were quick to remove anything wet, including similar wooden floors and other historic fabric of buildings.

Brighton beach Jewish Center. Lots of deferred maintenance and cellar damage (common theme).

Ellis island. NO EMERGENCY PLAN. Heritage Preservation organization came in post Sandy, and the first thing they ask for is an emergency plan and protocol for historic buildings and collections assessment.

Should we just fill in the cellars? Would have had 2ft of damage in the Seaport instead of cellar and ground floor damage. Damage potential verses loss of square footage.

Red hook rowhouse model, pretty popular. No wind damage, water damage to cellar.

Recovery and preparation approach: Move infrastructure. Approach things rationally. Be proactive, include structural supplemental work in advance. Remove minimal material.

Mold reaction: new Orleans and the seaport. Sheet rock is ruined up to waterline but you can otherwise mist the material with biocide and kill mold and save material.

Breezy point: avoidance of building codes came back to bite them in the butt! Should not have been permanent residences. 

Outer banks North Carolina. Washes away every few years but they keep rebuilding. The land and water border in in flux. Can't just look at the tide line in summer.

Deerfield Massachusetts. Move historic artifacts to a safe zone. Take them out of context, but they are safe. Which evil do you choose? Cant just clean up and move back in!

New Orleans Preservation Resource Center. 

Recognized that it is a historic town and that is what makes the city, that had to be maintained to keep the tourists coming. The historic preservation response in nyc has been different. There hasn't been much of an official response.

FEMA Recap

The Planning/History team met with Jenny Bernstein from FEMA, and Carey Feierabend from NPS. Jenny gave us some background information on the new National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), and specifically her team, Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Support. This is the first disaster to use the newly developed NDRF so they are "building the plane as they are flying it," an analogy we felt resonated well with this studio team. She recognized that there are some gaps in the process but hopefully new recommendations will come from the Sandy response and recovery process. One particular problem she commented on was the lack of recovery assistance for Natural and Cultural resources. Her team was specifically designed for long range planning, as apposed to short term recovery relief; essentially Natural and Cultural resources does not have the funding mechanism or technical expertise to help historic/culturally significant sites recover from storm damage. Their hope is the determine the level and type of damage and then connect these sites with the appropriate financial and technical support.

Currently FEMA is working to compile the significant resources in the region, much like us this reaches beyond designated sites, and is coordinating with the New York SHPO to determine which sites have damage. Moving forward their goals are to produce a damages assessment report which would lead into long range planning and preparedness strategies for the next disaster. Again, finalizing a damages assessment will also help them to provide the appropriate connections to recovery resources since FEMA as an agency does not have the funding or expertise in this field.

In terms of our work, FEMA is interested to see which undesignated resources we can identify; we can cross-reference our lists once complete. They are also very interested in our case-studies and building typologies. Determining what types of damage Sandy caused and the different strategies historic structures can and should employ is something they are also working towards as well, particularly as it pertains to the next disaster. Part of the long term planning is educating historic/culturally significant property owners with the appropriate short term recovery responses, enabling them to make the right decisions that will not harm the historic fabric of the site - much like the Bowne and Co. print shop example.

Major take-aways include some GIS resources coming our way, information sharing both directions, and also some encouragement to chose building typology case studies to include damages assessment, short term recovery strategies, and long term preparedness goals. Something else to consider besides a building focus would be the cultural landscape, this could mean a historic district or simply the setting these buildings are within, sometimes this is overlooked as something damaged or not appropriately treated in recovery response.

Feel free to add comments if you feel I missed anything - all in all, I thought this was a very valuable meeting and it seems as though we're on the same page and really working towards the same goals as FEMA which is exciting!

GSAPP Alumni Forum

Hey guys,
As most of you probably know, the GSAPP Alumni Forum is this Friday (March 8) and is about the relationship between climate change, extreme weather events and the built environment. It should be really interesting and there is a reception afterward. I will be there, so let me know if any of you decide to go.

Here is a link to the event page.

MOMA PS1 - Rockaway Call for Ideas

Interesting design competition for sustainable development in the Rockaways sponsored by MOMA PS 1 - we'll have to keep an eye out for what comes out of it!