Addressing Risk in a Coastal Community

Hurricane Sandy (2012) flooded the historic neighborhood of Red Hook—and long after the water receded, the shuttered businesses and uninhabitable homes remained. A $100 million-dollar initiative called the Red Hook Integrated Flood Protection System, or IFPS, aimed to diminish the risk posed to the neighborhood by the very shoreline makes it unique. The plan consisted of coordinated interventions that combine to mitigate the results of flooding from both rainfall and rising sea levels; successfully implemented, it should protect the community from the next super storm.

The project was led by an interdisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and scientists.  Grain’s responsibilities included spearheading stakeholder engagement – i.e. ensuring that the final plan reflected the true priorities of those affected – and consulting on urban design and planning.  Our engagement work included one-on-one meetings with community leaders as well as large-format community forums.  We also developed compelling presentation and workshop materials to convey technical information to a lay audience, so that all stakeholders were able to join the conversation.