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Statue of LIberty with Hurricane Sandy
Photography by Sandy Nadine DiNinno
ibtimes.com |
Hello Everyone:
As winter 2014 begins to fade into memory and cities in the snow latitudes begin to thaw out, it's time to assess what lessons can be learned from the weather. The main lesson on how withstand any storm is preparation. Advanced planning is the big difference between a city surviving an El Niño or Hurricane Sandy-type storm and ending up flooded as New Orleans did after Hurricane Katerina in 2005. In her article, "4 Smart Designs For New Cities That Can Withstand Any Storm," Adele Peters looks at a competition held by ONE Prize which asked architects and designers to create "stormproof cities of the future. The premise behind it is since most cities are built next to water, they are in danger of flooding from rising waters from storms and other natural disasters. The solutions ranged from artificial islands to a bridge with giant inflatable buoys to stop the flooding. What follows are the prized winning designs.
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Network of Protective Wetlands
Kenya Endo, architect
urbanomibus.net |
A network of protective wetlands: Following a massive typhoon in 1947, Tokyo created a network of dams that still aren't quite prepared for another typhoon today. A similar storm could impact 203 million people and result in $400 billion in losses. Since the current government cannot afford to construct or maintain anymore mega-damns, architect Kenya Endo proposed a scheme that builds barriers around a river using sediment gleaned from the current dams. "It a new type of dam that could interplay with urban design, enrich the ecosystem as well as store water," says Mr. Endo. They would create a wetland that could help bring back indigenous wildlife while protecting the city from storm surges. It could also purify the city's water supply and serve as a place of recreation. The proposal won first place. According to Maria Aiolova, co-founder of Terreform ONE the organization that co-sponsored the competition, "The proposal goes beyond just storm proofing to think more fully about what a city is."
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Aerial view of Barrier Staten Island
Cricket Day
urbanomibus.net |
A new island for Staten Island: Staten Island, New York was one of the hardest hit places in the wake of Sandy. Barrier Staten Island, designed by Cricket Day, was one of three second place winners. It recommends building a 7.5-mile long barrier island for protection from future storms. With just a little human intervention, the natural process of sedimentation could be accelerated sufficiently to create island over successive decades while the remain parts of Staten Island are slowly submerged underwater. I'm not quite sure how this would prevent flooding and I'm concerned about the loss of life and property in the submerged parts of Staten Island. I don't know if Cricket Day to these issues into account or not and Adele Peters doesn't really go into detail about the particulars. It's nice idea but a prize-winning one? Not so much.
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"Kogami"
Ben Devereau
archinect.com |
A reef recycled from shipping containers: this entry was submitted by Ben Devereau. Intended to protect Indonesia from tsumanis, Mr. Devereau proposes stacking old shipping containers on the bottom of the ocean. A single electric charge to the metal containers would stimulate coral growth, building up a barrier that would slow down storm water. Since the coral can be made to grow in unique structures, Mr. Devereau suggests that the branches could be harvested to make "biocrete," a new material that can be used for land-based construction. Interesting proposition. I like the idea of reusing the coral for other purposes. It does have some merit. The only issue I see is how long it would take to grow a new reef. Tsunamis don't wait around to happen. They happen when they happen, regardless if the coral reef is ready or not.
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Peripheral Multiplicity
Katherine Rodgers
archdaily.com |
A giant park along the New York Coastline: this design proposal submitted by Katherine Rodgers is, perhaps, the obvious solution. Move people and buildings further inland, away from potential flooding. Ms. Rodgers' entry includes plans for hundreds of miles of parkland around Raritan Bay on the New York/New Jersey coast. Future urban planning and development would stop far away from the shore and a series of planted buffers, wetlands, and paths could slow down the rising waters. Sometimes the most obvious solution is a good solution.
All the finalists should be commended for their sincere efforts to create viable environmentally sustainable solutions mitigate the disastrous effects of super storms. Of the four finalists, Kenya Endo and Katherine Rodgers deserve special merit for their proposals. Mr. Endo's proposal shows thinking beyond the immediate need to considering the city at large. Ms. Rodgers offers the simplest approach to mitigating storm flooding. The solutions proposed by Cricket Day and Ben Devereau have some merit but don't appear as carefully thought out.
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