4. Hunter’s Point South Park is Designed to Be Resilient
The first phase of Hunter’s Point South Park was in construction when Hurricane Sandy hit. The oval main lawn, which is made of artificial turf, is sunken, ringed by two concrete steps, with natural grass on the upper level. Sandy flooded the park, but the water was retained by the lawn and then receded with the tide causing no damage done to the park at all, and minimizing flooding in the streets.
All the streets leading to the park also have bioswales (landscaped tree beds and other plantings) so that stormwater is already being absorbed before it hits the park, and then the East River. New York City’s combined sewer system, that mixes both rainwater and sewage, gets quickly overwhelmed during heavy rains and storms, so any opportunity to catch water before it hits the system helps.
