"A Stronger, More Resilient New York"

On June 11 New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced a comprehensive plan for dealing with the threats of climate change as evidenced by Hurricane Sandy last October. "A Stronger, More Resilient New York" arrives 8 months after the "Superstorm" brought record storm surges to Lower Manhattan and other parts of the city, and with only 200 days left in Bloomberg's administration.

While the plan deals with rebuilding the communities impacted by Sandy, the proposed $20 billion system of flood barriers is justifiably getting most of the attention. Recommended measures include bulkheads, dune systems, levees, floodwalls, wetlands, tidal gates, and surge barriers. The report describes a total of 250 recommendations for making the city resilient to future storms, from coastal defense to building improvements. It is an ambitious plan that takes the damage caused by Sandy seriously, although it will be up to the next administration to find out how to implement it.