Urban Design, Planning and Policy for Climate Resilience
Our team members have been global leaders in design for climate action for two decades, starting with guiding New York City in its groundbreaking work in sustainability and resilience. Through urban design, zoning, conditions analysis, infrastructure planning and post-disaster recovery, we advanced climate adaptation policies for the built environment, creating urban design standards for resilient streetscapes and overseeing major infrastructure initiatives.
Our deep knowledge of the best available climate projections and vulnerability analyses of sea level rise, coastal storms, rain events, and urban heat informs our approach to long-term physical planning, economic impact analysis, and scenario development. We produce accessible and inspiring planning and design studies.
Post-Sandy Reconstruction Analysis, 2013
As Planning Advisor at NYC Housing Recovery Office, Thad worked with a team of architects (ARO) and engineers (Arup) to assess residential storm damage and the economic, regulatory and design challenges of reconstruction. This rapid study set up the $3.4 Billion CDBG-DR Build it Back program and won the ACEC design research award.
New York City Climate Adaptation Roadmap Visualization, 2020-22 (pictured below)
Thad, as Managing Director of the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes (CRCL), worked with the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice through the pandemic and the Mayoral transition on a set of visualizations and an outreach toolkit for the Climate Adaptation Roadmap. CRCL conducted workshops with local youth in Red Hook and Washington Heights to center local voices in how the city addresses flooding and extreme heat.
