The Future of Zone A: New York Neighborhoods on the Frontline of Climate Change

NYC Evacuation Map, Zone A (Red)

PLEASE NOTE: To accommodate high demand, this program has been moved to The Great Hall of The Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street.  As such, reservations have been reopened.  Please email rsvp@archleague.org to reserve a place. A podcast of the proceedings will be made available after the program. 

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, we’ve all become more aware of many of the city’s previously under-appreciated vulnerabilities and limitations. Massive flooding in the Rockaways, Lower Manhattan, and other coastal regions has brought Zone A, the city’s designation for high-risk flood areas, to familiarity and called the decades-long process of building in those areas into question. Transportation, electrical, and communications systems failed; some came back quickly, some still have not returned. As the climate continues to shift, how should the city adapt to new natural realities? On these pages, the editors of Urban Omnibus have argued to “Build It Back Smarter,” putting more forethought and coordination into planning for resiliency through green infrastructure projects, a wide range of which we have explored in the past. We have looked at the East River Blueway Plan and the Lower East Side’s Two Bridges neighborhood, two areas poised to be on the frontline of climate change that are thinking about what that will mean for them in the future. And we have visited the Staten Island Bluebelt, where the City has engineered the region’s wetlands to enhance their natural stormwater management capabilities.

On January 10th, we invite you to a discussion, moderated by UO Editor Cassim Shepard, looking at the future of Zone A. Is it possible, or practical, to deploy ecologically sound design and policy to mitigate adverse climate impacts on waterfront communities? Can “market-based” solutions drive the planning of the city in ways that are ecologically and socially responsible without displacing communities? This public discussion with experts in urban ecology, design, and community planning will present examples of current projects that explore the social, planning, and design challenges for high-risk, and often low-income, coastal areas across the five boroughs, including the Two Bridges neighborhood in Manhattan.

The Future of Zone A: New York Neighborhoods on the Frontline of Climate Change
A discussion with Tom Angotti, Susannah Drake, Alexander J. Felson, and Claire Weisz, moderated by Cassim Shepard

Thursday, January 10, 2013
7:00 p.m.
Rose Auditorium, The Cooper Union
41 Cooper Square

Tom Angotti is Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning and Director of the Center for Community Planning and Development at Hunter College.

Susannah Drake is the founding principal of DLANDSTUDIO, Professor at Cooper Union, and member of the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design.

Alexander J. Felson is an Assistant Professor at both the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Yale School of Architecture. He is also the Director of Urban Ecology and Design Laboratory.

Claire Weisz is a founding principal of WXY architecture + urban design.

Presented by Two Bridges Neighborhood Council in collaboration with the Architectural League and The Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design.

Tickets
Advance reservations to guarantee a seat are now closed. If you would like to attend the program, you may come the evening of the discussion to wait on standby. The standby line will be formed, beginning at 6:30. Seats will be made available, space permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis.

PLEASE NOTE: To accommodate high demand, this program has been moved to The Great Hall of The Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street.  As such, reservations have been reopened.  Please email rsvp@archleague.org to reserve a place. A podcast of the proceedings will be made available after the program.