The site locates between Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge, geographically acting as an urban frontage against sea level rise and storm surge. As it covered by hard surface today, how landscape can mitigate the climate changes, while re-organize the urban fabric and social-relationship? As the specific site I focus on, the Two Bridge Community is a public housing area that, fenced and seperated itself from both the urban environment and waterfront. Through the re-engagement with water by landscape infrastructure, this area would be re-connected to the urban, attracting people and establishing the real sense of public.
The public housing area in New York City is the ground of opportunity. Along the east river, where is also the frontage that facing the potential category 3 hurricane, there is a long strip area of ppublic housing that can be transformed. Taking Two Bridge Community as an experimental start point, it can be transformed to develop unique strategy to cope with sea level rise. The landform would be modified to increase the upland portion, which would not be flooded as 5 ft SLR projection. A meandering water line is created to distribute and absorb stormwater.
A tidal zone is developed naturally along the waterline, thus a soft edge becomes habitat for wildlife and fence against storm surge. The buildings on the upland should increase the density. The building locates in the tidal zone can be a major place for public activites and urban landscape, attracting people from inner city. The buildings in the water, which annualy standing in the water with a reinforced structure, proposed to be a terminal for public transportation-- boats that commune in new climate condition. New programs emerge and re-invigorate this area by bring in real public life and activities.
