The Flooded City

It’s been almost four years since Superstorm Sandy decimated many New York City neighborhoods, but concerns over the next climate-induced catastrophe haven’t receded.

Today, sea levels are rising 50% faster in the New York area than the global average. Even as the city attempts to better disaster-proof the most vulnerable places, an inevitable question remains: can New York really be saved?

A recent Rolling Stone feature by New America fellow Jeff Goodell says there's still time, but the debate over just how much is as contentious as ever. Proposals have been as varied as moving core infrastructure to higher ground to constructing a new "Big U" floodwall and building new barrier islands. Whatever the plan, the clock is ticking to turn the flood of warnings into sustainable change.

Join New America NYC for a conversation on the climate challenges facing New York and other coastal cities and what we can do to both impede short-term threats and build a long-term strategy for resilience.

PARTICIPANTS

Fellow, New America

Pippa Brashear  @pippawb
Director of Planning and Resilience, SCAPE

Vivien M. Gornitz
Senior Research Scientist, Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University's Earth Institute
Author, Rising Seas: Past, Present, Future

Curtis Cravens
Senior Advisor for Coastal Resiliency, Mayor's Office of Resiliency and Recovery, City of New York

Justin Worland  @JustinWorland
Writer, TIME Magazine