Historically in every coastal city, the waterfront was associated with the docks, industrial activity, and less than favorable inhabitants (think "On the Waterfront" or the infamous Barbary Coast of San Francisco). The wealthy lived inland while the poor lived by the water and pollution. It should be no surprise that all the areas badly damaged from this storm also have a number of public housing buildings. Land was cheap in the low lying areas making them affordable for the government to purchase and place large city run housing projects. In recent years with land in short supply plus an urban fetish for the industrial and creative mystique have made these places hot alternative neighborhoods for the middle-class to live or have a summer home. Red Hook, Coney Island, and Rockaway are three neighborhoods that experienced economic decline, a rise in crime and a new found trendy appeal.
The day after the hurricane Governor Cuomo stated that New York was going to rebuild better and referred to the need for investing in infrastructure. This urban region has never experienced a storm of this strength before (although hurricanes have occurred throughout history in the east coast). A few places to look for researching new urban planning ideas are The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and New Orleans.
The Netherlands - land of windmills, cheese, and the world's tallest people. It is also a country with a large portion of it's geography below sea level. This reality plus the rising sea level prompted the Dutch government to develop new forms of housing that could sustain flooding. One case study is the town of Maasbommel on the Meuse River.
Floating houses designed by Dura Vermeer introduces the concept of an amphibious house. Instead of relocating entire towns to higher elevation, the government is looking at the idea of building at sea level.
The idea is that the foundation can rise with the water level keeping homes and residents above water.
Hong Kong is located on the coast of the South China Sea and is situated in Asia's "typhoon alley" and on average faces six typhoons a year. Building codes in the city-state require all construction to meet typhoon safety standards and building materials such as glass to meet high wind level standards. A majority of the residents live in high-rise apartment buildings which are constructed of reinforced concrete sheer walls and flat water resistant roofs built with a waterproof membrane.
Flooding is also an issue in Hong Kong's low lying areas and the city-state have actively been installing a series of major drainage systems throughout flood prone areas.
Over the summer Hong Kong issued a Signal 10 typhoon warning for the approach of Typhoon Vicente. 100 mile hour winds plus heavy rain hit the region for several hours - at the end of the storm with a report of 129 injuries, 30 from flying debris, and flooding reported in the New Territories region, Hong Kong was relatively unscathed in part because of the investment in a new drainage system.
Bangladesh is underwater half the year and with the rise of sea level the country have had to find creative ways to maintain their livelihood. Boats have become the financial future for Bangladeshi residents. Aside from building homes with taller foundations and planting vegetation to absorb the flood waters, farmers have built floating vegetable beds so crops are not lost when the water rises. School children attend classes on boats fitted with solar electricity and computers. Floating hospitals have also been introduced as the region will become even more underwater.
Bangladesh's situation is extreme but not far fetched given its reality.
New Orleans is rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city had invested in new levees which so far has proven to be effected for the areas they were built to protect but more work needs to be done for the entire region. Following the recovery New Orleans became the city to also test new green building methods. Reclaimed wood from damaged homes were used to build new furniture.
Ideas for new homes were also considered and architecture firms such as Workshop/apd in New York City presented a prefab house using green building methods that is meant to make the house energy efficient.
Green building, new technology for infrastructure, and adaptability are key elements in not only the rebuilding of a city after a major storm but for the future renovation of all urban environments.
References:
Dura Vermeer
Hong Kong Weathers Typhoon
The History of Wind Damage in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Drainage Service Department
NPR Story - Dutch Architects Plan for a Floating Future
The Yale Globalist - Living on Water
The Washington Post - In Flood Prone Bangladesh, a Future that Floats
http://inspirationgreen.com/floating-homes.html
http://inhabitat.com/six-flood-proof-buildings-that-can-survive-rising-tides/arcology4-2/
http://dornob.com/fantastic-flood-proof-house-designed-to-break-free-float/
http://practicalaction.org/flood-resistant-housing-5
http://www.wri.org/stories/2011/04/adapting-climate-change-bangladesh
http://friendship-bd.org/page/floating-hospital-21
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/12/30/how-green-building-can-bring-new-orleans-back
http://www.thegreenproject.org
http://www.gogreennola.org
Floating houses designed by Dura Vermeer introduces the concept of an amphibious house. Instead of relocating entire towns to higher elevation, the government is looking at the idea of building at sea level.
The idea is that the foundation can rise with the water level keeping homes and residents above water.
Hong Kong is located on the coast of the South China Sea and is situated in Asia's "typhoon alley" and on average faces six typhoons a year. Building codes in the city-state require all construction to meet typhoon safety standards and building materials such as glass to meet high wind level standards. A majority of the residents live in high-rise apartment buildings which are constructed of reinforced concrete sheer walls and flat water resistant roofs built with a waterproof membrane.
Flooding is also an issue in Hong Kong's low lying areas and the city-state have actively been installing a series of major drainage systems throughout flood prone areas.
Over the summer Hong Kong issued a Signal 10 typhoon warning for the approach of Typhoon Vicente. 100 mile hour winds plus heavy rain hit the region for several hours - at the end of the storm with a report of 129 injuries, 30 from flying debris, and flooding reported in the New Territories region, Hong Kong was relatively unscathed in part because of the investment in a new drainage system.
Bangladesh is underwater half the year and with the rise of sea level the country have had to find creative ways to maintain their livelihood. Boats have become the financial future for Bangladeshi residents. Aside from building homes with taller foundations and planting vegetation to absorb the flood waters, farmers have built floating vegetable beds so crops are not lost when the water rises. School children attend classes on boats fitted with solar electricity and computers. Floating hospitals have also been introduced as the region will become even more underwater.
Bangladesh's situation is extreme but not far fetched given its reality.
New Orleans is rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city had invested in new levees which so far has proven to be effected for the areas they were built to protect but more work needs to be done for the entire region. Following the recovery New Orleans became the city to also test new green building methods. Reclaimed wood from damaged homes were used to build new furniture.
Ideas for new homes were also considered and architecture firms such as Workshop/apd in New York City presented a prefab house using green building methods that is meant to make the house energy efficient.
The home was constructed in 2008 and can be seen here.
Green building, new technology for infrastructure, and adaptability are key elements in not only the rebuilding of a city after a major storm but for the future renovation of all urban environments.
References:
Dura Vermeer
Hong Kong Weathers Typhoon
The History of Wind Damage in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Drainage Service Department
NPR Story - Dutch Architects Plan for a Floating Future
The Yale Globalist - Living on Water
The Washington Post - In Flood Prone Bangladesh, a Future that Floats
http://inspirationgreen.com/floating-homes.html
http://inhabitat.com/six-flood-proof-buildings-that-can-survive-rising-tides/arcology4-2/
http://dornob.com/fantastic-flood-proof-house-designed-to-break-free-float/
http://practicalaction.org/flood-resistant-housing-5
http://www.wri.org/stories/2011/04/adapting-climate-change-bangladesh
http://friendship-bd.org/page/floating-hospital-21
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/12/30/how-green-building-can-bring-new-orleans-back
http://www.thegreenproject.org
http://www.gogreennola.org
