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Rebuild by Design: Resilience and the Beach

In 2013, HUD announced an international competition for new approaches to protect coastal areas from hurricanes and ocean level rise. 10 teams from the 148 applicants were chosen to address different areas across the East Coast. The Rutgers team (S. Handel, J. Burger, C. Obropta, and K. O’Neill) was selected to address innovative ways to protect the New Jersey shore in the future. They are partnering with the architecture and planning company Sasaki Associates and the engineering company ARUP in the multidisciplinary work.  The work in this state will be a model for other coastal regions nationally.

The project's theme is that ecology, economy, and cultural life are tightly intertwined. All are needed for resilient and healthy coastal communities and environmental health. The Rutgers team is planning solutions which advance all three aspects for the Jersey shore. They are focusing on the Toms River area, including the adjacent barrier beach, on Asbury Park, and the Union Beach area along Raritan Bay. These represent different landscape typologies, but all are threatened by ocean level rise and increased storm surges. After review by local governments and the Secretary of HUD, funds from the Congressional Hurricane Sandy appropriation may be released to implement these critical initiatives.