What will resilient communities look like in the future in light climate change? That’s the question that BASF, a leading global chemical company at the forefront of sustainable construction solutions, recently attempted to answer in its recent white paper titled, “Co-Creating Solutions for Urban Neighborhoods in Coastal Cities: A Look at Red Hook, Brooklyn.”
The paper explores five solutions that would help Red Hook to resiliently and sustainably rebuild from the $32 billion in property damage Hurricane Sandy left behind in 2012, better prepare to withstand extreme weather, and ultimately revitalize the neighborhood’s fledgling economy. The ideas identified in the white paper are the culmination of BASF’s Creator Space Tour, hosted in New York City in May 2015 as part of the company’s global initiative marking its 150th anniversary. BASF engaged leading subject matter experts, including Terreform ONE and the Stevens Institute of Technology, among others, alongside Red Hook residents to crowdsource and co-create innovative solutions to transform not only the Brooklyn neighborhood, but serve as a model for other coastal cities around the globe at high risk of flooding and impacts of climate change.
The five different solutions identified in the white paper include: establishing a network of green corridors to help channel runoff; creating a coastal park as a first line of defense against storm surges and rising sea levels; establishing a center for “green collar” job training; rethinking Red Hook’s public housing to embrace sustainable building practices; and inspiring landowners and developers with a Model Block to serve as a blueprint for coastal cities.
To read the white paper “Co-Creating Solutions for Urban Neighborhoods in Coastal Cities: A Look at Red Hook, Brooklyn” in its entirety or to learn more about the Creator Space program, visit https://creator-space.basf.com/content/basf/creatorspace/en/celebrating-150/white_papers/new-york-whitepaper.html.
