05/20/2026
The South Battery Park City Resiliency Project is transforming Lower Manhattan’s waterfront into a stronger, smarter, and more resilient coastline. Spanning 17,000 ft²/7.3 acres, this civil engineering effort weaves a fully integrated flood‑barrier system—complete with flood walls and deployable flood gates—directly into the iconic Wagner Park to protect the community from tidal flooding, storm surge, and rising sea levels.
MKA served as the design mediator, coordinating the substantial flood engineering elements that protect the space from a 100-year event with the architectural pavilion and landscape features of the exceptional public realm. The civil design employed a landscape-based stormwater management approach, treating “wet side” runoff before returning it to the Hudson River, alongside a “dry side” water collection, treatment, and reuse system that reduces the project’s potable water consumption for irrigation by 50% and flush water by 62%. Achieving Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) certification for its resilience and public access, the project met and exceeded the rigorous technical standards developed by the Waterfront Alliance.
📸: Battery Park City Authority
