The new floodgate next to Asser Levy Playground. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The playground and basketball courts feature resilient materials and play equipment designed to withstand inclement weather. On July 18, 2022, the first part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project was completed. The East Side Coastal Resiliency project was designed to increase the resiliency and sustainability of the infrastructure along the east side coast of Manhattan to battle rising sea levels and more frequent coastal storms due to climate changes. For CityLand’s prior coverage on the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, click here. (more…)

Mayor Adams helps cut the ribbon on a new rooftop garden created with a grant from DEP to incentivize building owners to add green roofs. Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.

Produce from the farm will be used at two eateries whose profits benefit charities and scholarships. On April 19, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala announced the opening of a new rooftop farm on top of the Commercial Commons Three building at 1441 South Avenue in Bloomfield, Staten Island. The farm will be named the Nicotra Grown Organic Rooftop Farm, named after the Nicotra Group, which owns the building. (more…)

Standing water after a storm at the corner of Bidwell and North Avenues shows an ongoing issue with faulty storm drainage in Westerleigh. The system upgrades aim to prevent ponding like this and worse from happening. Image Credit: NYC DDC.

On April 1, 2022, the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the start of a new drainage upgrade project in Westerleigh, Staten Island.  (more…)

The Jerome Park Reservoir. Image Credit: NYC DEP.

Approximately 10 percent of the City’s drinking water passes through the reservoir daily. On February 7, 2022, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the completion of infrastructure upgrades at Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx. The project cost $15.7 million, and work started in 2018. (more…)

Mayor Adams announces his administration’s climate resiliency team. Image Credit: Ed Reed/ Mayoral Photography Office.

The combination of agencies aims to reduce redundancy and enhance integrated work. On January 31, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his administration’s climate leadership team and changes to the City’s executive agencies that handle environmental justice. Three appointments were announced: Rohit T. Aggarwala as the chief climate officer and Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); Vincent Sapienza as the chief operations officer of DEP; and Kitty Charles-Guzman as the executive director of the new Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ).  (more…)