OMA plans rebuild by design defense strategy for jersey coastline

OMA plans rebuild by design defense strategy for jersey coastline
all images courtesy of rebuild by design / OMA

OMA has presented a comprehensive plan to curb the effects of flash flooding and storm surges across jersey city, hoboken and weehawken. the international practice are one of ten teams offering proposals for different sandy-affected regions, part of an ongoing initiative entitled ‘rebuild by design‘. identifying that individual and unconnected solutions do not work, the holistic approach acknowledges the density and complexity of the context, galvanizing and protecting the entire region.

the urban water strategy is based in the practice’s exhaustive research and understanding of flood risk, ensuring that the large-scale project is both focused and efficient. the innovations are imagined as replicable features that can be used in other areas suffering from similar problems. 

the masterplan comprises four key elements: resist – programmed hard infrastructure and soft landscape for coastal defense; delay – policy recommendations, guidelines, and urban infrastructure to slow rainwater runoff; store – a circuit of interconnected green infrastructure to store and direct excess rainwater; discharge – pumps & alternative routes to support drainage.

along the hoboken light rail, rainwater storage initiatives are connected to make a complete green circuit

as defense against storm surges is fundamentally a question of elevation, the height of the design’s defense measures is determined by an extreme water level analysis. in order to combat flash-flooding from rainfall, delay strategies act like a sponge. storage solutions temporarily take excess water out of the drainage system, which can be returned once capacity has been recovered. discharge plans comprising additional pumps and alternative drainage routes can increase the removal of liquid from the system, providing a robust, complete and cost effective defense.

hoboken is exposed to tidal surge at weehawken bay to the north and the new jersey transit rail yards to the south

at weehawken cove, a park landscape serves as a defensive barrier, protecting the region and its utilities from storm surges and flooding. these wetlands provide a natural filter, while simultaneously enhancing recreational amenities for the community and facilitating future development. permeable paving, rain gardens and bioswales help manage the city’s surface water – further reducing the risk of flash flooding while enhancing the cityscape.

see designboom’s ongoing coverage of the rebuild by design competition here.

the flood risk cannot be solved one house at a time – it requires a holistic strategy

the urban water strategy is based in the practice’s exhaustive research and understanding of flood risk

the development will offer flood defense and provide other civic amenities

the solution serves as a robust, complete and cost effective defense mechanism

the masterplan comprises four key elements: resist, delay, store and discharge

the height of the design’s defense measures is determined by an extreme water level analysis

the innovations are imagined as replicable features that can be used in other areas suffering from similar problems