Four US-Dutch Teams Chosen to Help Rebuild Following Hurricane Sandy in Rebuild By Design Competition

Four US-Dutch teams have been chosen to help New York and New Jersey rebuild stronger, safer, and more resilient communities after Hurricane Sandy in the Rebuild by Design Competition.

The winning teams of the Rebuild by Design competition are:

• Interboro Team led by Interboro Partners and includes Apex; Bosch Slabbers; Center for Urban Pedagogy; David Rusk; Deltares; H+N+S Landscape Architects; IMG Rebel; NJIT Infrastructure Planning Program; Palmbout Urban Landscapes; Project Projects; and TU Delft
• BIG Team led by BIG Bjarke Ingels Group and includes One Architecture, Starr Whitehouse, Buro Happold, Level Infrastructure, James Lima Planning & Development, Green Shield Ecology, AEA Consulting, Arcadis, Project Projects, and the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons the New School for Design
• OMA with Royal HaskoningDHV, Balmori Associates, and HR&A Advisors
• MIT CAU + ZUS + URBANISTEN with Deltares; 75B; and Volker Infra

US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan made separate announcements today in New York and New Jersey. Ten design teams were chosen as finalists last year, and six were chosen today. Of those six, four included Dutch experts.

In response to the announcement, Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink said the Netherlands is “proud that the United States recognizes the Dutch expertise in water management, shown by the inclusion of so many experts from the Netherlands who are part of the winning teams. We look forward to helping the US build communities that are more resilient and can stand up better to storm surge and extreme weather.”

The announcement the third round of grant funding totaling $930 million for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that is part of the Rebuild by Designcompetition initiated by President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force.

Deep connections

The Netherlands has a deep connection to the area’s impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Not just because of our strong historic ties with the land once called New Amsterdam and New Netherland, but also because the Netherlands and the affected states are vulnerable to threats from storm surge, rising seas and more extreme weather.

With 60 percent of the Netherlands at or below sea level, the Dutch had to become experts on innovating with water and climate adaptation as well as in governance.

Leaders in smart and sustainable urban design, the Netherlands succeeded in finding innovative solutions to water-related problems that threaten communities, economic capital, and quality of life. A series of measures, from multifunctional levees to flood-resilient buildings to green infrastructure, help us keep our cities safe and attractive.

The Netherlands believes the work is never done. We need to keep preparing to be safe, not just now, but in the centuries ahead. We are happy to see that Dutch companies and experts are partnering with American companies to find ways to make New York, New Jersey and Connecticut safer.

Working together to rebuild

The Dutch have worked together regularly with the United States, partnering on projects and sharing knowledge with Americans who manage water.

The Netherlands and US states at risk of floods and storm surge, such as Louisiana, Florida, New York and California, actively exchange expertise on how to properly manage water for protection, rather than let it become a threat.

The Dutch continue to work with Louisiana on urban water management, flood protection and on coastal protection and restoration.

In California, we are strengthening flood control along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.

In Florida, we are sharing information on water management and resilient urban planning that will make South Florida and the Everglades healthier and better able to adapt to the challenges posed by sea-level rise.