REBUILD BY DESIGN
MEADOWLANDS
NEW JERSEY MEADOWLANDS, NJ
Rebuild by Design - Meadowlands emerged from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rebuild by Design Competition, which promoted development of innovative resilience projects in Hurricane Sandy-affected regions. The charge is to develop multi-benefit, integrated flood protection solutions which improve public spaces, reduce impacts to the natural environment, and improve future resilience for social, environmental and economic systems in communities located within 100-year floodplains. Given the complexity of the combined flood risks from both storm water and tidal surge, the approach to RBD Meadowlands is inherently multidisciplinary; requiring a fully-integrated team of engineers, urban planners, landscape architects, ecologists, environmental scientists, and economists.
The design team held workshops in all 5 municipalities located within the study area to determine opportunity areas and community concerns. Each workshop was supported by location specific analysis, opportunities, constraints, and engagement tools to support community-led charrettes. Mitigation measures for both storm surge protection and flooding from rainfall were developed to create a comprehensive resiliency toolkit for the project area. Structural flood reduction strategies to address storm surge prioritized connecting to elevation “high points” to minimize construction costs, alignments close to the Hackensack River to maximize protection of communities, and leveraging public land and green space to avoid private ownership conflicts. Green infrastructure strategies were leveraged as integrated components of public open space and wetland habitat improvements to capture stormwater runoff, reduce localized flooding, and improve water quality.
Client:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection NJDEP
Collaborators:
Little Ferry, South Hackensack, Teterboro, Moonachie, Carlstadt
Status:
Ongoing construction - Expected completion Fall 2026