The focus of this project was to make East Harlem (from 125th Street all the way down to 96th Street) a flood-resilient forest. The idea of resiliency is managed through two main systems: A) Green Infrastructure: which is the forest that extends on FDR Drive B) Repurposing the Bus Depot and Salt Shed by the RFK Bridge
The four goals of this project happen through 4 systems: 1) To manage flooding (through the forest) 2) To create resilient public spaces (through the Bus Depot and Soil Bank) 3) To engage the community (through the act of planting) 4) To adapt the waterfront (through the forest)
During this period, FDR Drive will ban vehicle access to allow the roadbed to naturally start its decay process. The Green House (Repurposed Bus Depot) will allow the needed trees to be grown and once reached their potential, they will be relocated to FDR Driven and planted on the roadbed. Simultaneously, the Soil Bank (Repurposed Salt Shed) will provide the greenhouse with its necessary needs. Once the Greenhouse and Soil Bank fulfill their purpose, they get repurposed to a Refuge Center for the community in case of a natural hazard.
