Moving toward resilient infrastructure

Climate change is an issue of truly global scale, with very real and tangible, local impacts for New Yorkers. Extreme weather events like heat waves and flooding caused by sea level rise, heavy precipitation, and coastal storm surge are affecting New Yorkers now, and are anticipated to become more frequent and severe in the coming decades. The present and expanding nature of these threats necessitates that the city’s capital investments and long-term planning be responsive to and prepared for the ways in which climate will impact New Yorkers’ lives and needs.

A key component of climate-centered planning and investment is bolstering the resiliency of city infrastructure and facilities. Both existing and planned facilities must be designed with climate change in mind, to ensure community preparedness. This is achieved through retrofitting existing assets and constructing new ones to withstand natural hazards like extreme rainfall, coastal flooding, and extreme heat. New assets are also designed to continue functioning in the face of intensifying climate events over the course of their useful lives. One approach the city takes to incorporate resiliency into its planning is through the Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines, which outline standards to help ensure buildings and infrastructure can withstand extreme weather and the impacts of climate change.

Reducing NYC’s Carbon Emissions

The city has set an ambitious goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The city continues to design capital projects to standards that minimize the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy efficiency, and move towards electrification. As part of this effort, DCP spearheaded a citywide zoning text amendment, Zoning for Carbon Neutrality, as part of its broader City of Yes zoning text revisions, that passed in 2024. Through close collaboration with sister agencies as well as non-profit and private sector partners, DCP was able to determine how zoning text amendments can help the city meet ambitious climate goals. These changes will clear the path for much-needed green investments in a renewable energy grid, energy efficient and high performing buildings, electrical vehicle charging stations, and landfill waste and stormwater management.

Improving coastal resiliency

Since Hurricane Sandy, the city has advanced several coastal flood protection projects in partnership with state and federal agencies. These collaborations include new infrastructure and reconstruction of existing assets, as well as large scale flood mitigation initiatives, such as East Side Coastal Resiliency, South Shore Staten Island Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, Rockaways-Atlantic Shorefront, and Red Hook Coastal Resiliency. These projects represent the shared priorities of improving the resiliency of the city’s coastlines to climate events as well as retaining the accessibility of the waterfront for the continued enjoyment of New Yorkers across the city. Project details, as well as neighborhood coastal flood protection guidance, can be explored on the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) website.

Mitigating flood risk, including inland flood risk and stormwater management

New York City continues to strengthen efforts to prepare for heavy rainfall, improve stormwater management, and reduce flood risks. Coastal and inland areas — especially low-lying, paved surfaces that absorb little water — face the greatest threat from extreme rain.

As part of the city’s plan for tackling the challenges of flood risk and stormwater management, DEP released their 2024 Stormwater Analysis, which outlined their four-pronged approach to mitigation infrastructure made up of sewers, green infrastructure, blue belts, and a cloudburst management system. Sewers form the backbone of the city’s stormwater management, serving as the first line of defense to handle 98 percent of rainfall events. During more intense rainfall, other interventions such as green infrastructure, can help reduce stormwater runoff by absorbing it into permeable soil. These investments also serve the added benefit of greening neighborhoods, providing aesthetic amenities as well as reducing the urban heat island effect that warms neighborhoods’ surface temperatures.

While these efforts support the city’s flood risk mitigation strategy, agencies recognize that long timelines for capital project planning, investment, and construction mean infrastructure alone cannot fully address stormwater flooding risks. Other stormwater resiliency measures are outlined in the Rainfall Ready NYC initiative, and include improving communication with the public before, during, and after storm events; distributing free sandbags and other flood barriers in at-risk neighborhoods; and inspecting chronic flooding locations and removing debris from catch basins where necessary. The city has also created stormwater flood maps to illustrate how various flood event scenarios might impact different parts of the city in order to raise awareness, promote advance preparation, and guide policymaking.

Addressing heat vulnerability

Heat waves are a significant concern for New Yorkers and as climate change leads to more frequent and intense events, the risk of heat-related impacts is expected to increase over time. At a baseline, New Yorkers are more vulnerable to extreme heat than residents of less-urbanized areas, due in part to the physical makeup of the city. Impervious surfaces, buildings, and sparse vegetation all contribute to trapping heat and increasing temperatures. Some New Yorkers, such as seniors and those with certain health conditions, are especially vulnerable to heat stress. Similarly, low-income residents are both more likely to live in areas that trap heat and are less likely to have access to air conditioning. New York City is working to mitigate the threat posed by extreme heat through a variety of measures, including adaptations to the built environment.

Cool It! NYC is a citywide plan to increase the amount of cooling features available to the public during heat emergencies, particularly in neighborhoods that face the dangers of high heat. NYC Parks’ Cool It! NYC map highlights water features, drinking fountains, and trees across the city. The city also operates an extensive network of cooling centers, primarily in libraries, community centers, and senior centers, offering safe, free access to cooling during heatwave events. The Department of Transportation (DOT), through its Cool Corridors project, is developing interventions and best practices to reduce heat impacts on urban streets and sidewalks. It also explores analytical tools and performance metrics, including cost-benefit analysis, to effectively assess potential interventions.

Additionally, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has developed an interactive Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI), a model to summarize the most important factors of neighborhood heat risk — surface temperature, green space, home air conditioning, and income — to help inform decision making around areas most in need of capital investment to curtail heat vulnerability. The HVI is useful both for public information and awareness and helps the city budget and plan for green infrastructure projects.