Five New Jersey Projects Included in Next Round of HUD’s Rebuild by Design Competition

November 14th, 2013 by Elaine Clisham

On Nov. 14, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the 10 finalist projects in its Rebuild by Design competition, an international effort to bring resilient design solutions to the areas of the region most affected by Superstorm Sandy. Five of the 10 focus either on specific areas in New Jersey, or on regional solutions that include New Jersey. Two of those focus specifically on building a more resilient Shore area, including how to preserve the Shore’s unique culture and how to strengthen its commercial elements. A third project focuses on floodwater management in the city of Hoboken, a fourth on making the Meadowlands area more vibrant and at the same time more resilient, and a regional project addresses the pros and cons of implementing natural protective barriers along the mid-Atlantic coastline.

The five New Jersey-focused projects include:

New Meadowlands Productive City + Regional Park
This project proposes a Resilient District combining an innovative urban mix of residential and logistics around a regional tidal park. Project team: MIT CAU + ZUS + URBANISTEN.

Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge: a comprehensive floodwater management strategy for Hoboken
Hoboken is susceptible to both flash flood and storm surge. This project capitalizes on a combination of political, ecological, and economic factors to create a comprehensive flood strategy—resist, delay, store, discharge—that both defends the entire city and enables commercial, civic, and recreational amenities to take shape. Project team: OMA.

Resilience + The Beach: Integrating Culture, Economy, and Ecology for the Future Jersey Shore
Informed by a close reading of cultural, economic, and ecological conditions, this project takes a regional look at the Jersey Shore to test solutions that rethink three iconic elements of the human experience of the shore—the pier, the boardwalk, and the marina—in order to help coastal communities adapt and strengthen in the face of ongoing sea level rise and storm threats. Project lead: Sasaki/Arup/Rutgers University.

Coastal Commercial Resiliency Financing
Working with businesses, merchants associations, and local government in up to three vulnerable areas in New York City and on the New Jersey shore, this project will create a replicable financial tool to enable implementation of temporary and long-term physical and operational interventions, protecting critical local businesses from future extreme weather events and climate change. Project team: HR&A Advisors with Cooper, Robertson & Partners.

Designing with Nature for the Future of the Mid-Atlantic Coast
This project will model the risks and benefits of large-scale natural barriers designed for individuals, communities and the region. Project team: WXY/WEST 8.

More information about the Rebuild by Design initiative, along with more detail and illustrations of each of the projects, may be found on the Rebuild by Design website.