OMA, Royal HaskoningDHV Introduce Strategy for Sandy-Affected Areas

OMA Architects and engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV presented their final plan to rebuild the communities of Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken.

The public presentation on Thursday 3rd of April was part of Rebuild by Design, an initiative of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force.

Within the Sandy-affected region, the communities of Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken are susceptible to both flash flood and storm surge. These communities were hit hard during hurricane Sandy, which flooded up to 80% of Hoboken alone, causing damages in excess of $250 million in this community.

Urban water strategy

Team OMA/Royal HaskoningDHV presented a comprehensive urban water strategy. For high-density urban environments, discreet one-house-at-a-time solutions are not effective and an approach that acknowledges the density and complexity of the context is required.

The team’s strategy is based on four pillars:

– Resist: Coastal defence from elevated flood defence structures;

– Delay: Slow down rainwater runoff through urban infrastructure;

– Store: Green infrastructure to store excess rainwater;

– Discharge: Water pumps and alternative routes to get the water out.

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Press Release, April 4, 2014