On the Waterfront: Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Transportation

As climate change continues to reshape urban coastlines, the panel “On the Waterfront: Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Transportation along Lower Manhattan Waters Edge” will bring together three influential voices in architecture, engineering, and urban design to discuss how New York City is actively building and reimagining its waterfront for a more resilient future.

A coastal town at its inception, New York City contends with the sea to this day. Even as New Yorkers battle mid-town traffic, or find themselves underground in a stalled subway, the sea is nearby. The edge between sea, natural geology, and man-made structures determines the shape and human experience of the island. As waters rise, the societal goal is to protect man-made assets along the coastline, including transportation and infrastructure; and simultaneously to enhance citizens’ experience along the water’s edge. You will hear from professionals and practitioners who are implementing strategies that include protection, reconstruction, and the proactive construction of resilient structures.

Please join us! The panel promises to offer a multi-disciplinary lens on the challenges and innovations shaping the future of NYC’s waterfront. From infrastructure to architecture to landscape, this conversation will preview how design, policy, and engineering are converging to defend—and redefine—the coastline. 

Speakers:
Mathew Staudt, AIA, Partner, Office for the Next Environment
Matthew Potter, AIA, Project Manager, HNTB
Ryan Connolly, AIA, Director, Thomas Phifer and Partners

Moderator:
Josh DeFlorio, AICP, LEED AP, ENV SP, Principal, Arup

About the Speakers:
Mathew Staudt is an architect and urban designer whose work over the last decade has focused on the design and implementation of some of New York City's most complex waterfront infrastructure projects, including East Side Coastal Resiliency and Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency. He served as the urban design lead for the recently completed Fidi Seaport Climate Resilience Plan and is currently the Project Design Manager for EDC's Brooklyn Marine Terminal Vision Plan.  

Matthew Potter is a Registered Architect and sustainability professional with more than 16 years of professional experience. He has extensive experience in architectural design, project management, planning, and sustainability framework systems, such as Envision, LEED, and WEDG. Potter has lectured and participated in panels on the Envision Framework Rating System at the Center for Architecture in New York; the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure in Washington, D.C.; and the Zofnass Program at Harvard University. He has worked on transportation, public, and master planning projects, many of which have been published internationally.

Ryan Connolly is a director at Thomas Phifer and Partners, where he was the project manager for the recently completed Wagner Park Pavilion in Battery Park City. His previous experience includes involvement in the firm’s complex international projects, including the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland and a tower in Bogota, Colombia. Ryan is a registered architect and holds degrees from Yale University and The Ohio State University.

Josh DeFlorio works at the intersection of transportation, climate, and community. Formerly Chief of Resilience and Sustainability at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, DeFlorio was educated at Brandeis University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.