Climate-adaptive Design Process
Climate-adaptive design is a three-phase process to inspire, advance and implement climate adaptation and resiliency projects in Hudson Riverfront communities.
Phase I: Inspiring change with the Climate-adaptive Design Studio
Outcome: concept design boards, educational materials
The Climate-adaptive Design (CaD) Studio is a program led by Professor Josh Cerra, Cornell University Landscape Architecture Department, in partnership with the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program. The CaD Studio links Cornell University graduate and undergraduate students in landscape architecture with high flood-risk Hudson Riverfront communities to explore design alternatives for more climate-resilient and connected waterfront areas. Community stakeholders are engaged throughout the studio to help inform the design process and support more usable results for the municipality that the student design teams are partnered with. The purpose of this phase is to engage and inspire communities to adapt to our changing climate using natural and nature-based solutions.
- Watch a 5-minute video on the CaD Studio
- Visit our webpage on the CaD Studio
- View concept design boards and educational materials from previous CaD studios
- View a StoryMap about the Poughkeepsie studio
The CaD Studio has visited eight waterfront areas in six municipalities in the Hudson Valley since 2015.
Phase II: Advancing Climate-adaptive Design
Outcome: detailed and implementable project designs with cost estimates that are legally and technically feasible and have community support
The NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and NEIWPCC support a consultant, in partnership with the municipality, to engage diverse stakeholders, review and select Climate-adaptive Design concepts, and design an implementable project at a specific site or sites. The purpose of this phase is to position projects for implementation (Phase III, not supported by this project) by providing preliminary designs with cost estimates and an implementation strategy complete with materials necessary for preliminary regulatory review and applying for possible future state or federal funding for final engineering, permitting and construction. Visit our webpage on CaD Phase II.
The Design Advancement program has visited four municipalities in the Hudson Valley since 2019.
Phase III: Implementing Climate-adaptive Design (future concept)
Outcome: final design and construction of a Climate-adaptive Design
The NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program envisions the municipality or landowner implementing projects developed in Phase II, possibly with the help of funding from Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), DEC, Department of State (DOS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other state or federal agencies.
- Visit our webpage on Funding climate adaptation and resilience
- Learn about climate adaptation projects that have already been implemented on the Hudson: Sustainable Shorelines Case Studies: Demonstration Site Network and Scenic Hudson’s climate-adapted Long Dock Park in Beacon, NY
Implementation of a CaD project is yet to occur.