Rebuilding with Resilience

BIG U Compartments
This picture illustrates the fl ood risks in each of the compartments identifi ed in the BIG U proposal.
The final BIG U proposal recommended three separate but coordinated flood protection projects called
“compartments” that spanned from the Battery to East 23 rd Street. Each compartment recommended a
combination of structural (deployable flood walls and artificial embankments known as berms) and nature-based
approaches for reducing flood and storm surge risks. It was envisioned that each of the flood-risk-reduction
components would serve the additional purpose of creating recreational amenities and enhancing connectivity
with the waterfront. Some compartments also called for broad deployment of green infrastructure approaches to
manage flood risks behind the flood control structures during heavy rainfall events. Each compartment can be
isolated from adjacent areas, and would offer both flood protection and amenities tailored to each neighborhood’s
social, recreational, and economic needs. The three independent-but-linked compartments included the following:
• Compartment 1, Montgomery to 23 rd Street including East River Park — This compartment
was proposed to run north from Montgomery Street to East 23 rd Street. One section of this compartment focused
on East River Park. The proposal called for the construction of a berm system to provide flood and storm surge
protection for the FDR Drive, adjacent public housing campuses, and the surrounding neighborhood. The berm
would also double as and improve recreational space. In a second northern section adjacent to Stuyvesant Cove
running north to 23 rd street, the proposal called for deployable flood walls under the elevated FDR Drive. The
proposal called for increased public access to the waterfront through pedestrian bridges in the southern section
crossing the FDR Drive and improvements to the north-south bikeway throughout.
31 Chapter 2: The Big U | Rebuilding with Resilience GEORGETOWN CLIMATE CENTER