NEW YORK, NY — The Waterfront Alliance announces that the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project has become the 13th project nationally to achieve WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Verification. The gold standard for waterfront design, WEDG is a national rating system and set of guidelines for resilient, ecological, and accessible waterfront design.

The South Battery Park City Resiliency Project is a key component of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Master Plan and vital link to protect an area spanning the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Wagner Park, and Pier A Plaza, as well as the adjacent Battery Park City and other portions of Lower Manhattan. Together, the Battery Park City Authority and AECOM’s design team developed a plan to strategically incorporate resilience features into the site that will make it resilient against sea-level rise, coastal flooding, storm surge, increased precipitation, and other intensifying climate change impacts.

The transformation of Wagner Park will create an enhanced and cohesive experience for park users. A network of planters, stepped benches, and winding pathways through native planting areas will conceal the site’s seawall and resilience infrastructure. A 10-foot increase in the elevation of much of Wagner Park will provide resilience against the 2050s 100-year storm and facilitate views of New York Harbor. Today’s existing barren stone riprap along Pier A Inlet will be replaced with new habitat space consisting of plantings on stepped terraces that will attract marine life. Park users can engage with the habitat space via an overlook, which will also serve as a passive educational zone.

“This project is a stellar model in how projects can adeptly incorporate resilience features into the design of waterfront spaces,” said Cortney Koenig Worrall, Waterfront Alliance President and CEO. “We applaud the Battery Park City Authority and the project team’s achievement of WEDG Verification and commitment to the rigorous standards. Because of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, Lower Manhattan is that much stronger against ever evolving climate change risks.”

Throughout the design process, the project team purposefully integrated access and feedback from stakeholder engagement into the plan for the park. Discussions with residents and other stakeholders changed the scale of the lawn, created safety enhancements and a realigned bikeway, and spurred additional community space. The team also incorporated universal access throughout the site, which will enable all park users to access the site equally, despite the significant elevation changes that sea-level rise protection requires.

WEDG Verification is only awarded for projects that successfully pass a technical review of the project’s design against the WEDG standards. External specialists in engineering, architecture, and landscape architecture determined that the project exceeded the requirements for WEDG Verification, earning 125 out of 215 possible points in the standard (115 are needed to pass). Battery Park City Authority incorporated WEDG into its Request for Proposals for the North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project and its Battery Park City Green Guidelines.

“We are incredibly honored and excited to achieve WEDG verification for Wagner Park as part of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project. This recognition underscores our commitment to a resilient, enjoyable, and sustainable waterfront in Lower Manhattan,” said Gonzalo Cruz, AECOM’s Design Lead for Landscape and Urban Design. “Wagner Park and the surrounding areas are being transformed to integrate flood risk reduction, improve continuous public waterfront access, and enhance natural ecosystems. Receiving WEDG Verification is a testament to the collaborative and multidisciplinary approach undertaken by the entire project team.”