Big U or Rebuid by Design
The Big U is a protective system around Manhattan, driven by the needs and concerns of its communities. Stretching from West 57th street south to The Battery and up to East 42th street, the Big U protects 10 continuous miles of low-lying geography that comprise an incredibly dense, vibrant, and vulnerable urban area. The proposed system not only shields the city against floods and stormwater; it provides social and environmental benefits to the community, and an improved public realm.
On August 9, 2013 Shaun Donovan, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Chair of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, announced the 10 multidisciplinary teams from 148 applicants that are participating in Rebuild by Design.
In June 2014 US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced OMA, BIG and four other teams as the winner of “Rebuild by Design“, a competition aimed at rebuilding areas affected by Hurricane Sandy focusing on resilience, sustainability and livability.
The results of the competition were announced in June this year, with six schemes, including proposals by BIG and OMA awarded a total of $920 million to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy and improve the resilience of the coastline in the region.
For Phase 3 of Rebuild by Design, the Big U team created coordinated plans for three contiguous but separate regions of the waterfront dubbed “compartments.” Each compartment comprises a physically discrete flood-protection zone that can be isolated from flooding in adjacent zones. Each presents unique opportunities for integrated socia and community planning. Proposed solutions for the components were designed in close consultation with the associated communities and many local, municipal, State and Federal stakeholders.
WHAT IS AT RISK ?
The floodplain upland of Manhattan’s 10 miles of coastline is home to approximately 200,000 people. The floodplain also contains 35,000 affordable housing units, home to over 95,000 lowincome, elderly, and disabled residents, the majority of who live in a highly vulnerable area along the East River. This area contains some of the largest central business districts in the country, which cumulatively form the core of an economy with a $500 billion annual GDP, and influence economic activity throughout the world. More than 52 million annual visitors come to New York City to see the 9/11 memorial, The Battery, Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.
Superstorm Sandy devastated much of this area. Infrastructure was disabled, homes were flooded, and people, many elderly or disabled, were trapped in their apartments. The economic heart of the Financial District stopped for a week. Many residents are still struggling with the aftermath. In public housing units affected by Sandy, mold infestation has almost doubled, illustrating that global climate change has increased the challenges of providing safe, livable, affordable housing in Lower Manhattan.
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Materials provided by BIG