2024 Spring Issue of Urban Land - 16

developments
developments
An engineering study identified
a two-block stretch of the
greenway that has the lowest
elevations and is best suited to
capture stormwater. The team
of engineers, urban designers,
and landscape architects developed
alternatives for those
blocks by using varying combinations
of above-ground green
infrastructure features and
underground retention tanks.
The team brought these
Through engagement
events, NYCHA initiates
resident conversations on
environmental stewardship
and designs site-wide solutions
with the community.
alternatives to the residents
through a series of public
meetings and workshops. Residents
indicated support for the
concept of " sunken " landscape
spaces for temporary stormwater
retention, particularly when
those spaces offer seating and
other accommodations for
people of all ages and physical
abilities during normal times.
Accordingly, the final project
design centers on a basketball
court that is recessed into the
ground to hold stormwater
during heavy rains and drain
into below-grade retention
tanks and the stormwater
system within 48 hours.
The court will include seating
around the outer edges,
reduced fencing, and improved
painting, lighting, and backstops.
The greenway will have
two bioretention assets flanked
by stone seating and a new
paved pathway. The project is
now proceeding to construction.
" The
pilot at the South
Jamaica Houses goes far
beyond traditional green infrastructure
treatments, " says
Watson. " Its ability to store and
slowly release large volumes of
stormwater and its
community-centered design
show that a single project can
have a significant impact on
both flooding and residents'
quality of life. "
Leveraging national
best practices
Building on the South Jamaica
pilot, which was led by DEP,
NYCHA was eager to identify a
set of additional developments
to prioritize for cloudburst
infrastructure. The Housing
Authority focused on properties
that were both vulnerable
to the impacts of heavy rain
and had high need for investment
in their open spaces.
They included inland sites,
such as Woodside Houses in
Queens and Butler Houses
in the Bronx, as well as sites
with combined coastal and
rainwater flooding vulnerability,
such as Sheepshead Bay
Houses and Breukelen Houses
in Brooklyn.
NYCHA knew that any
investments it made in these
pilots needed to serve two
purposes: to mitigate the
impacts of extreme rain and
to transform the public realm
for NYCHA residents. To do
so, the organization wanted to
bring in the best ideas that it
found around the country.
NYCHA asked ULI New York
and ULI's Urban Resilience
program to convene a technical
assistance workshop to
focus on innovative cloudburst
infrastructure that can protect
against extreme rainfall events
while providing opportunities
for passive and active recreation
during everyday conditions.
" Working
alongside ULI's
team of leading design professionals
and experts in
landscape, infrastructure, and
public space was an amazing
opportunity for NYCHA
to learn from best practices
in the industry and to think
laterally about the co-benefits
of cloudburst implementation
at NYCHA campuses, "
says NYCHA Senior Director
of Architecture and Engineering
Services Dylan Baker-Rice.
" The participatory process and
feedback from ULI were critical
in establishing criteria for locating
the most vulnerable areas
and maximizing the impact of
cloudburst infrastructure. "
Based on a recommendation
from the technical assistance
panel to maximize cross16
URBAN
LAND
SPRING 202 4
GR AIN C OLLE CTIVE
2024 Spring Issue of Urban Land

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2024 Spring Issue of Urban Land
