Creating more green spaces in NYC to combat flooding and enhance local communities
Creating more green spaces in NYC to combat flooding and enhance local communities
The Issue
New York City has always been known as a concrete jungle, and now with climate change and increasing global temperatures, the city's outdated infrastructure such as the subway, street drains and tunnels continues to flood and disrupt the daily lives of New Yorkers. While there are several investments and initiatives such as the lower east side coastal resiliency project, which was exposed as a weak part of Manhattans during hurricane sandy in 2012, these solutions are often simply delaying the inevitable and are typically way overbudget.
As a result, we noticed that there's a far simpler solution, in a city paved over almost completely with concrete, water has nowhere to go other than the outdated drainage system, this is why parks and green spaces are so important since they act like a natural sponge! Not only does it help mitigate flooding in prone areas, but it also brings several numerous benefits to the local communities.
Green spaces act as natural water management system by absorbing rainwater, reducing runoff, and decreasing the burden on existing drainage systems. Moreover, they enhance the aesthetic value of neighbourhoods, providing much-needed recreational areas and serving as a third space for people to meet and socialize.
Currently, the percentage of land dedicated to green spaces in NYC is below the recommended standard for urban environments. By prioritizing the creation of more parks, gardens, and green roofs, we can increase this percentage and make a genuine impact as research suggests that every 1% increase in vegetative coverage in urban areas could reduce flood losses by up to 8%.
As part of our school project, we urge NYC policymakers to consider this approach as a priority. By investing in green infrastructure, they could not only reduce flooding but also decrease the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and boost biodiversity.
Overall, if you believe in the benefits of green spaces in mitigating the effects of flooding and also bringing numerous benefits to our community, do be sure to sign the petition!
Below you will also find a demonstration that we made showing the positive impacts of having green spaces in mitigating flooding.
152
The Issue
New York City has always been known as a concrete jungle, and now with climate change and increasing global temperatures, the city's outdated infrastructure such as the subway, street drains and tunnels continues to flood and disrupt the daily lives of New Yorkers. While there are several investments and initiatives such as the lower east side coastal resiliency project, which was exposed as a weak part of Manhattans during hurricane sandy in 2012, these solutions are often simply delaying the inevitable and are typically way overbudget.
As a result, we noticed that there's a far simpler solution, in a city paved over almost completely with concrete, water has nowhere to go other than the outdated drainage system, this is why parks and green spaces are so important since they act like a natural sponge! Not only does it help mitigate flooding in prone areas, but it also brings several numerous benefits to the local communities.
Green spaces act as natural water management system by absorbing rainwater, reducing runoff, and decreasing the burden on existing drainage systems. Moreover, they enhance the aesthetic value of neighbourhoods, providing much-needed recreational areas and serving as a third space for people to meet and socialize.
Currently, the percentage of land dedicated to green spaces in NYC is below the recommended standard for urban environments. By prioritizing the creation of more parks, gardens, and green roofs, we can increase this percentage and make a genuine impact as research suggests that every 1% increase in vegetative coverage in urban areas could reduce flood losses by up to 8%.
As part of our school project, we urge NYC policymakers to consider this approach as a priority. By investing in green infrastructure, they could not only reduce flooding but also decrease the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and boost biodiversity.
Overall, if you believe in the benefits of green spaces in mitigating the effects of flooding and also bringing numerous benefits to our community, do be sure to sign the petition!
Below you will also find a demonstration that we made showing the positive impacts of having green spaces in mitigating flooding.
152
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on February 3, 2026