JIE XU

Project Statement:



Sandy reminded us how devastating nature will be if we live in a rigid world. Being aware of sea level rise in a forseeable future, we intended to create a resilient city, which will function effectively facing storms and assist people's migration during extreme conditions. This synchronized strategy of building new urban grid while the old one being devastated, will highly increase the resilience of unstable barrier islands. In addition, this new urban grid with efficiently recoverable infrastructure will greatly accelerate the speed of regional economy's bouncing back.



Project Narrative:

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Sandy has been away for about 8 months, and once heavily affected cities such as Atlantic City seems to have been on its way of recovery. However, looking back at this devastating storm which made New York stock trading shut for weather for the first time since 1888, as well as the of acceleration of sea level rise, most of us would agree on the necessity of creating a more resilient world.

In a longer term, additionally, according to the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts map created by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sea level of atlantic ocean will keep rising, making more and more area of Atlantic city, along with other ones which are built on barrier island to be inundated in a faster speed. The urgent needs for flood shelter and a newly structured urban form which will be more adapted to this soon coming catastrophe gave us the initial inspiration.

We started by considering the geological constitution of Atlantic City, ensuring the use of the barrier islands complements the natural system and enhances the quality of life on the shore for all New Jerseyans. New Jersey's barrier islands are inherently unstable, which will move and change shape in response to storms, tides, winds, and human efforts to create stability. Facing this urgent challenge of sea level rise, it will be reasonably effective to accelerate its changing speed by human effort, applying a new adaptive urban form.

What's more, as we have to accept the inevitability of the changing nature of Atlantic City, bringing a promised and possible future with understanding and flexibility will be another important issue in our design. By doing so, we will reduce the negative effect caused by overdue disturbance of human to this tourist city,  at the same time
make use of natural resource, such as wind energy, solar energy, salt marsh and abundant seaside vapour, to support more possible activities in future.

In order to reach the goal of a flexible urban form, there are two main considerations in terms of different situation. The first one is to provide temporary shelter when flood comes, while the other one is to direct people to inland area when facing extreme catastrophic condition.

To begin with, looking the vacant land and their negative effect on public safety, as well as Atlantic city's historical value and its magnetic driven force, we decided to choose it as our site for a bold experiment.

Looking at forecasted inundation maps of Atlantic City, the current drainage system is no longer efficiently discharging the annual rainfall.  What's more, in consideration of a city constructed by new infrastructure, we find  great opportunities in the unused urban spaces. Consequently, trying to come up with a time-based dynamic urbanization process, we decided on a sequential strategy:

Firstly, in order to decide location for new urban nodes, we will chose some of the vacancy, to excavate earth and create water retention ponds. The earth being excavated will be transported and reused. As a result, accumulated water in flooded area will be reconnected to an efficient drainage net, be discharged in time and this new city topography will accomodate future scenario in which the current city will be gone.

Secondly, build foundation spots in the ponds. With performative deck built above, they will be able to catch sedimentation from flowing water, consolidating the soil and making the pond prepared for advanced development.

Thirdly, build light house in the ponds, which will be further developed as energy center, and guide people escaping from flooded area to inland. Serving as sustainable energy center, those light houses will make use of wind energy to produce electricity for people staying in the shelter space. By using membrane to collect evaporated water, it will also provide abundant fresh water. Additionally, in order to remind people of the lost land, a memorial park with illusive light at night will bring people back to the old days when Atlantic City was still at its era.

The future city will be based on this infrastructural grid which will function efficiently when facing storms, and be capable of assisting people to migrate to redesigned inland during extreme conditions. The cities should be synchronized with time, especially in those which will be inevitably inundated such as Atlantic City, a resilient system should be provided for future to build upon.