2017: Hudson River on the Rise Conference
Event Description
Hudson River on the Rise: Waterfront Planning for Communities and Nature was a day-long conference intended to advance resiliency planning for the Hudson Estuary’s unique natural and community resources in an age of sea-level rise. All Hudson Estuary riverfront stakeholders—including municipal officials, community leaders, landowners, planners, resource managers, regulators, developers and private sector professionals—were invited to hear speakers with expertise in science, planning and design, resource management, and decision-making process discuss the natural history of the river; emerging issues and opportunities that will shape future waterfront planning; decision-making roles and shoreline jurisdictions; and innovative case studies from Hudson River communities. Participants had the opportunity to learn about exciting efforts along the Hudson and available resources, to envision future projects in their own communities, and to network with each other, exploring partnerships to pursue their own waterfront resiliency goals.
Event program available here.
HRNERR post on the event here.
Morning Plenary Presentations
Hudson River: Then and Now — Fran Dunwell, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program
What’s Special about the Hudson Estuary? A Natural History Overview — Betsy Blair, NYSDEC Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
Looking Ahead: Planning, Adapting, and Restoring for a New Normal — Sacha Spector, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Decision-making Roles: Who is Responsible for the Future of Our Shorelines? — Matt Maraglio, NYSDOS Office of Planning and Development
Keynote The Resilient Waterfront: Designing Adaptive Landscapes — Pippa Brashear, SCAPE / Landscape Architecture
Concurrent Session 1A: Local Planning for Climate Resilience
Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs (LWRPs) — Jaime Ethier, NYSDOS Office of Planning and Development
Climate Smart Communities and Coastal Resilience — Dazzle Ekblad, NYSDEC Office of Climate Change
Concurrent Session 1B: Online Mapping and Decision-Making Tools
The Sea Level Rise Mapper: Essential Information for Waterfront Planning — Nava Tabak, Scenic Hudson
The Hudson River Flood Impact Decision Support System — Kytt MacManus, CIESIN and Columbia University
Geographic Information Gateway: Yours for the Using — Jeff Herter, NYSDOS Office of Planning and Development (resource link)
Concurrent Session 2A: Adapting the Built Environment
Metro-North Railroad: Post Superstorm Sandy and Planning for the Future — Richard Bottali, Metro-North Railroad Capital Engineering Department
Sustainable Shorelines: Improving Engineered Shoreline Habitats — Daniel Miller, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program/NEIWPCC
Confronting the Threat of Sea Level Rise in the New York City Metropolitan Area — Rob Freudenberg, Regional Plan Association
Concurrent Session 2B: Designing Resilient Waterfronts
Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG): A Framework for Sustainable Waterfront Development — Roland Lewis, Waterfront Alliance
The Cornell Climate-Adaptive Design Studio: Designing for Resilience Along Hudson River Estuary Waterfronts — Joshua F. Cerra, Cornell University Department of Landscape Architecture
Landscape Performance: Climate-Adaptive Design Strategies for LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts — Jilian Cahan Gersten, LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts
Afternoon Plenary Presentations
The Community Risk and Resiliency Act: Mainstreaming Consideration of Climate Change — Mark Lowery, NYSDEC Office of Climate Change
Adaptation Success in the Hudson River Estuary — Kristin Marcell, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell Water Resources Institute
Waterfront Resilience and Adaptation in the City of Kingston — Mayor Steve Noble, City of Kingston