Impacts of Sea Level Rise: RPA Report on Affordable Housing

Organized by the AIANY Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee, this panel discussion brings together leaders in regional planning, public housing, and urban design to confront one of the most pressing challenges facing New York City’s future: climate-driven flooding and its impact on housing.

Anchored by the Regional Planning Association (RPA)’s April report projecting that 82,000 existing housing units could be lost to flooding by 2040, the conversation draws on expertise from public-sector housing leadership, regional planning, and architectural practice. Together, the panel examines how data-driven risk assessment, public-sector innovation, and design excellence can inform resilient housing strategies—particularly along New York City’s waterfront. Through case studies of planned and built projects, the discussion highlights approaches that both protect vulnerable communities and create new housing opportunities, integrating flood mitigation, adaptive reuse, master planning, and preservation. The panel underscores the urgency of aligning climate resilience with housing equity and growth, offering a forward-looking framework for how architects, planners, and policymakers can respond to rising seas without retreating from the city’s waterfront.

Speakers:
To be announced