Cooper Robertson led a 10-firm team of urban designers, architects, landscape architects, and consultants for the City of New York’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR). SIRR addressed how New York City can resiliently rebuild after Superstorm Sandy to protect again future storms.

Over an intensive fourteen weeks, Cooper Robertson researched critical infrastructure areas, recommended possible built environment typologies, and guided the application of key initiatives for the five community areas most impacted by Sandy. We developed the analysis and summary of recommendations for storm mitigation on the southern edge of Manhattan and eastern edge of Staten Island. The design solutions we put forward included levees to protect coastal communities that could also serve as public amenities during non-storm conditions.

The effort not only included a significant outreach campaign to local officials and community-based organizations, but also to the broader public in a series of open meetings across the city.