New York City’s Big U

Dr. R. Christopher Goodwin, PhD

Introduction• The CEO and director of research at R. Christopher Goodwin &

Associates, Inc., Dr. R. Christopher Goodwin draws on his PhD-level education and extensive experience to provide guidance to the organization. Under the guidance of Dr. Goodwin, it examines how climate change affects global sea levels and studies the effects of seal level rise on coastal historic sites throughout the United States. A number of preventative measures aimed at combating rising sea levels already are being implemented around the world; they include New York City’s flood prevention plans.

Chief among these is the "Big U," a $335 million berm that will line the Manhattan coastline on the Lower East Side.

Big U• Shaped as an enormous U, this berm will offer protection to 10

miles of the coastline by creating an extensive flood zone buffer, while creating at the same time a number of recreational areas planted with salt-resistant vegetation.

The initiative was developed in the wake of the devastating issues caused by Hurricane Sandy, which struck the region in 2012 and affected 95,000 senior, disabled and low-income residents, in addition to impacting New York's low-lying financial district. The storm left thousands without power, running water, transportation, and communication facilities, a situation that the construction of the Big U hopes to avert in the future.