AIANY leading the way on the path to resiliency

Last fall we wondered how long resiliency would still be of interest to the design and real estate communities, to our political leaders, and to the general public. Nine months later, there is ever-growing recognition of the complexity of this topic, the financial and societal cost, and the far-reaching consequences that future storms and climate change will have on our waterfront, impacting residential communities, vacation and recreation spots, and potentially even the long term viability of our financial core. And, we have seen the relatively quick assessment of the problem along with numerous ideas and solutions put forth by mayor Michael Bloomberg in the 400-page report released in June that further portends the intricacy of the issues at hand. AIANY has been at the forefront of some productive collaborations on issues concerning the effects of climate change on our city and on the affected regions across the northeastern United States. On July 9, more than 130 stakeholders, government officials, and design professionals participated in the first ever AIA Regional Recovery Symposium and Workshop at the New Jersey Institute of Technology led by AIANY and AIA New Jersey, in conjunction with Connecticut, New York State, and Rhode Island. A regional gathering across chapters with an interconnected approach to problem solving was a first for many of us and, we hope, will set the precedent for other parts of the country as they address issues and solutions across state lines and political divides. Our research included a boat tour up the Passaic River in Newark, in an attempt to better understand the variety and types of businesses, communities, transport lines, and urban waterfronts that were affected. City planners from three northern New Jersey cities - Newark, Hoboken, and Jersey City - shared their own research and proposed solutions for resiliency—relatively new ground in light of the focus we've seen on the Rockaways and the Jersey Shore. After these fruitful discussions at the symposium, this regional effort certainly won't be the last. Please check AIANY's website for future events that will build upon this excellent start so we can provide informed solutions and expertise to aid government officials, community groups, and share best practices with colleagues. In another far-reaching effort, July yielded the four finalists in the FAR ROC (For a Resilient Rockaway) competition. Launched in April, the FAR ROC competition sought ideas for developing the 80-acre Arverne East site into a new mixed-use, mixed-income, sustainable and storm-resilient community that will meet the new physical and regulatory challenges of waterfront development while maintaining the balance between innovation and affordability. As noted previously, this is being organized by AIANY in partnership with its Committee on the Environment (COTE), the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, L+M Development Partners, The Bluestone Organization, Triangle Equities, and Enterprise Community Partners. The 117 solutions yielded a wide range of ideas gathered from 24 countries. Four finalist teams announced on July 18 at the Center for Architecture and chosen from the Phase I submissions included one New York firm and three young internationally-based firms: a testament to the desire for architects world-wide to come to the table with new ideas for this global problem. Finalists include: Ennead Architects (New York, USA), Lateral Office (Toronto, Canada), Seeding Office (London, UK) and White Arkitekter (Stockholm, Sweden). Their full submissions can be found at www.FarROC.com/finalists. The winning team will be announced on October 24 and will receive an additional prize of $30,000 and the opportunity to engage with the City, L+M Development Partners, the Bluestone Organization, and Triangle Equities to discuss the possible production, design, and construction documents for the development of the project. I truly hope that some of these ideas make their way into the final development. If implemented, our city is sure to become a leader in new ways to develop productive communities in a resilient, cost effective, sustainable, and commercially-viable manner. Jill Lerner, FAIA, is the 2013 president of the AIANY, New York, NY