East Harlem Resiliency Plan Benefit-Cost Analysis

Urbanomics prepared benefit-cost analyses for several alternative coastal flood hazard mitigation proposals for use in informing a holistic neighborhood-based environmental resiliency planning study in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan overseen by the City of New York's Department of Parks and Recreation.

The project's scope of work went beyond the traditional analysis of economic and fiscal impacts, taking into account environmental, business, social and equity indicators. Impacts were assessed for vulnerable population groups, parks and open space, environmental and infrastructure systems, housing, and community facilities including educational institutions and health care facilities. The benefit-cost analysis quantified the future impacts of mitigation alternatives proposed by the multi-disciplinary team led by Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners under full build-out conditions, taking into consideration recently approved rezoning resolutions, approved development projects in the pipeline and proposed enhanced commercial districts.

Urbanomics showed that the costs of each of the proposed projects was more than balanced by the savings from not having to contend with damages and losses suffered from storms year after year.