Post-Sandy, NYC must limit coastal development

We, New Yorkers, have weathered countless storms — both literal and metaphorical — and emerged stronger. But we face a growing climate crisis that requires more than just resiliency. On this 12th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we are reminded that climate chaos will yield even more impactful climate change in the coming decades. With sea levels likely to rise by six feet by 2100, and frequent, devastating storms becoming the norm, New York City must rethink how and where we build along our vulnerable coastlines.

The data is stark: 29% of the city lies within flood zones today; this percentage will grow as sea levels rise and floodplains expand. Yet, the city continues to incentivize residential development in low-lying, newly flood-prone areas like South Brooklyn and Queens without adequate regulations to reduce damage and protect people.

The city has also not tackled the question of what to do with neighborhoods like Coney Island and Howard Beach that face the threat of sea-level rise. This perilous inaction risks lives, homes, and billions of dollars in infrastructure and personal assets. If we don’t act now, the consequences will devastate our communities and economy. 

In 2012, Sandy wreaked havoc on New York City, flooding entire neighborhoods, displacing thousands of families, and causing more than $19 billion in damages. The Rockaways and Red Hook were among the hardest-hit areas, suffering massive flooding and infrastructure breakdowns. A decade later, the city is still pushing higher-density development in these and other areas, including in the current City of Yes zoning proposal. Across the U.S., six out of seven similarly at-risk municipalities have limited new housing in flood plains while the City of New York is increasing it. 

The goal isn’t to halt development, but to encourage more thoughtful and sustainable growth. We need a proactive zoning and regulatory strategy that protects public safety and quality of life.

The City Club of New York proposes a pause on new upzonings and public incentives for residential development in flood-prone neighborhoods until New York City adjusts its land-use and zoning policies to reflect the realities of climate change. This moratorium would simply ensure no further residential expansion beyond what is permitted while we take the necessary time to plan thoughtfully and responsibly. In the meantime, we should focus on increasing density farther inland, out of the flood zone, particularly in areas with strong transit connections. 

New York has seen this kind of forward-thinking planning before. After Sandy, the city implemented more stringent building codes and stormwater management systems in the existing floodplain. These measures have proven effective in reducing damage, but they only cover the floodplain as it exists today — not the future floodplain, which will stretch much farther into the city. 

Our proposed moratorium provides the time and political impetus needed to craft a comprehensive and coordinated plan for adapting our city to the long-term challenges of climate change. It compels all stakeholders — elected officials, community groups, developers — to take climate change seriously and act in the public’s interest.

Imagine what will happen if we continue to delay such reforms: It’s 2040, and the floodplain has expanded into areas like Greenpoint, East Harlem, Chelsea, and Long Island City. Thousands more homes are regularly flooded, insurance premiums become unaffordable to working families, and intra-city “climigration” dwarfs the current influx of immigrants.

The skyrocketing costs for disaster relief, relocating communities, and replacement of coastal infrastructure (such as sewage treatment plants and subway equipment) place unbearable burdens on the city and state’s finances — including upending efforts to remedy the shortage of affordable and public housing. 

New York City has the resources and expertise to avoid this future, but we must act now. A moratorium on incentivized residential development in our coastal areas is not just a temporary fix — it’s a necessary first step in securing a safer, more resilient future for all New Yorkers.

Let’s use this time to plan, prepare, and ensure that when the next storm comes, we’re ready for it. We owe it to ourselves, to frontline communities, and to future generations to make today the hard decisions that will safeguard our city tomorrow.

Barwick is the chairman of the City Club of New York. Fox is co-chair of the Waterfront Committee of the City Club and a park and open space activist and planner. Shapiro, a professor and former chair of Pratt’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, is co-chair of the Waterfront Committee of the City Club. Law-Gisiko is the president of the City Club of New York.