Big U

Big U
Name	Big U
Location	Lower Manhattan, New York City
Type	Coastal flood protection project
Status	Proposed/partially funded
Architect	Bjarke Ingels Group (concept), Rebuild by Design competition contributors
Owner	City of New York
Groundbreaking	2014 (concept), phased implementation ongoing

Big U

The Big U is a proposed disaster-mitigation and coastal resilience initiative for Lower Manhattan in New York City intended to reduce flooding from events like Hurricane Sandy and future storm surges. Conceived through the federal Rebuild by Design competition after Hurricane Sandy (2012), the project links neighborhoods from West 57th Street to the Battery with a combination of berms, parks, floodwalls, and ecosystem restoration. The initiative involves collaboration among municipal agencies such as the New York City Department of Transportation, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and federal partners including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Overview

The Big U proposes a continuous protective system encircling Lower Manhattan, integrating flood-control infrastructure with public open space and urban design elements. Designers drew on precedents like The Big Dig's urban planning lessons, resilience strategies from The Netherlands's delta works, and park-building models exemplified by The High Line and Battery Park City. Funding and governance strategies reference mechanisms used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, while stakeholder engagement aligns with practices promoted by the Trust for Public Land and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

History and Development

The concept emerged from the 2013 Rebuild by Design competition, funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to translate resilience science into urban interventions. The winning proposal, led by teams including Bjarke Ingels Group, Mathews Nielsen, and Scape Landscape Architecture, built on earlier work done by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's commission on post-Sandy recovery and studies by the New York City Panel on Climate Change. Pilot projects and feasibility studies involved agencies such as the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, alongside community groups like the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and neighborhood associations in Financial District, Lower East Side, Battery Park City, and SoHo. Federal grant awards from HUD and coordination with Federal Transit Administration considerations guided the phasing.

Design and Features

Designers proposed modular components: landscaped berms in residential zones, deployable flood barriers near critical infrastructure, and elevated recreational promenades around the South Street Seaport. The scheme includes green infrastructure components similar to work by Gretchen Daily-inspired ecosystem services advocates and stormwater techniques seen in Philadelphia's green streets programs. Architectural elements referenced contemporary urban design by firms such as Olin, while engineering solutions paralleled projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and consulting firms like Arcadis and Arup. The proposal aimed to protect assets including Wall Street, Brookfield Place, New York Stock Exchange, and the World Trade Center site, while connecting parks such as Riverside Park, Battery Park, and plazas near City Hall with continuous pathways.

Implementation and Phases

Implementation planning split the Big U into segments or "bites" for staged construction, permitting, and community review. Early phases prioritized areas with high exposure—South Street Seaport and Battery Park City—coordinated with Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operations and Metropolitan Transportation Authority concerns for subway entrances at South Ferry and City Hall. Funding packages combined municipal capital budgets, state resilience bonds modeled after Hurricane Sandy repayment frameworks, and federal grants through HUD's Community Development Block Grant program. Pilot installations tested materials and operations with partners including New York University urban research labs and the Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Impact and Reception

The Big U generated attention from urbanists, journalists, and policy-makers; coverage appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian. Supporters cited benefits to neighborhoods including Tribeca, Chinatown, and Little Italy, noting co-benefits for recreation, property values near Seaport District, and ecosystem services along the East River. Academic assessments from institutions like Columbia University and New York University highlighted the project's integrative approach, while philanthropic backing from organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation helped incubate design phases.

Criticism and Challenges

Critics questioned cost estimates, governance complexity, and potential impacts on historic districts like South Street Seaport Museum and Fraunces Tavern. Legal and regulatory hurdles involved agencies such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the United States Army Corps of Engineers permitting regimes. Equity advocates referenced displacement risks noted in case studies involving Battery Park City Authority and the need for safeguards promoted by groups like Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development. Technical challenges included coordinating with Metropolitan Transportation Authority floodproofing, integrating with storm-surge modeling by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and long-term maintenance financing within New York City's capital planning frameworks.

Category:Infrastructure in New York City Category:Flood control projects