Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency

Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency
Name	Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency
Location	Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Status	Under construction / phased implementation
Start	2018
Estimated cost	Multi-billion USD
Owner	City of New York
Operator	New York City Department of Design and Construction; New York City Economic Development Corporation

Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency The Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) program is a major urban infrastructure initiative to protect Manhattan's southern tip from coastal flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise. The project integrates flood protection, parkland, transit access, and utility upgrades across neighborhoods including Battery Park City, Financial District, Seaport, South Street Seaport, and the East River waterfront. LMCR involves multiple agencies, planners, landscape architects, and community stakeholders in a coordinated effort spanning the Office of the Mayor, New York City Department of Design and Construction, and federal partners.

Overview

LMCR aims to build adaptive flood protection along the shores of Lower Manhattan adjacent to the Hudson River and East River, near landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, One World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge, and Wall Street. The program responds to flood events like Hurricane Sandy and long-term projections used by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and New York City Panel on Climate Change. LMCR connects to other regional efforts including Big U, East Side Coastal Resiliency, and federal United States Army Corps of Engineers studies for the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

History and Planning

Planning for coastal resiliency in Lower Manhattan accelerated after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which damaged infrastructure including the New York City Subway tunnels near South Ferry and inundated facilities at the Battery Maritime Building and Stuyvesant High School. Early proposals involved architects and firms such as Bjarke Ingels Group, SCAPE Landscape Architecture, and Arup Group. Federal and municipal coordination included Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Environmental review processes invoked the National Environmental Policy Act and local planning by the New York City Department of City Planning and Landmarks Preservation Commission for areas near South Street Seaport Museum and Fraunces Tavern.

Design and Components

Design elements mix hard infrastructure—sea walls, floodwalls, and deployable barriers—with soft landscape features like salt marshes, elevated promenades, and bioswales adjacent to River Terrace, Pier 15, Pier 25, and Battery Park City Esplanade. Proposals referenced precedents such as Thames Barrier, Maeslantkering, and Delta Works, and incorporated advice from climate scientists at Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the City University of New York. Designers considered interaction with transit hubs including Cortlandt Street, Fulton Street Transit Center, and ferries serving Battery Park City Ferry Terminal and South Ferry terminal. Landscape architects integrated plantings listed by New York Botanical Garden standards and cultural elements connected to institutions like Museum of Jewish Heritage and National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Construction and Implementation

Construction phases coordinate contractors under procurement processes managed by the New York City Department of Design and Construction and oversight by the New York City Comptroller and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Work zones impacted maritime operations near Brooklyn Navy Yard, South Street Seaport, and East River Park. Implementation required permits from United States Coast Guard, New York City Department of Buildings, and coordination with utilities such as Con Edison and National Grid. Phased scheduling accounted for major events at venues like Battery Park, Brookfield Place, New York City Hall, and traffic patterns on FDR Drive and West Street.

Environmental and Social Impacts

Environmental analyses addressed habitats for species monitored by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, impacts to tidal wetlands overseen by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and water quality standards enforced by New York State Department of Health. Social impact assessments considered displacement risks near affordable housing providers such as NYCHA developments, effects on small businesses in the Seaport District and Financial District, and access for cultural institutions like South Street Seaport Museum and Federal Hall National Memorial. Equity measures referenced guidelines from the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and community boards including Manhattan Community Board 1.

Funding and Governance

Funding streams combined municipal bonds issued by the New York City Department of Finance, state grants from the State of New York, federal allocations from Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and philanthropic contributions from organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and The Trust for Public Land. Governance structures included project management by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, advisory panels with representatives from The Battery Conservancy, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and technical input from American Society of Civil Engineers and New York City Panel on Climate Change.

Reception and Controversy

The project generated debate among stakeholders including preservationists from the Landmarks Preservation Commission, activists associated with Focus Groups and community organizations like Sierra Club, New York League of Conservation Voters, and local elected officials such as members of the New York City Council and the Office of the Mayor of New York City. Critics compared LMCR to initiatives like the Big U and raised concerns voiced by legal challenges referencing environmental review procedures and impacts on maritime commerce regulated by the United States Maritime Administration. Supporters cited resilience benefits highlighted by researchers at Princeton University, Rutgers University, and Yale University. Public hearings involved groups including Manhattan Borough President and community boards with testimony from representatives of Battery Park City Authority and neighborhood associations in the Seaport District.

Category:Infrastructure in New York City