Abstract

As part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency project, an integrated coastal protection initiative, this study was funded by both the City and the State through federal postSandy disaster appropriations. After Sandy, climate resilience initiatives and the investment of community stakeholders led New York City to successfully receive funds to mitigate coastal storm surge flood risks in Two Bridges through the federal National Disaster Resilience Competition. Although the rest of Lower Manhattan was not prioritized for funding from the federal government based on their criteria for post-Sandy recovery – targeting residential populations and low- and moderate income households – the City allocated $100 million of City capital to projects south of the Brooklyn Bridge (in the Community Board 1 district), as well as $8 million specifically to a project in the Battery.

In producing recommendations and guiding investments, the Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study followed these guiding objectives:

• Identify the extent of climate hazards and exposure in Lower Manhattan in the 2050s and 2100;
• Assess options for adapting to climate threats over the long-term and maximize climate adaptation wherever possible to address a comprehensive set of climate hazard impacts;
• Support the creation and integration of urban cobenefits for Lower Manhattan, where possible, to serve the Lower Manhattan community;
• Establish a phased series of recommendations to maximize near- and long-term solutions and develop a long-term climate resilience strategy, informed by existing planning efforts and projects that are already underway.