The New York City Economic Development Corporation, on behalf of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, is managing the Raise Shorelines Citywide Projects to address vulnerability of New York City shorelines due to long-term sea level rise. The Raise Shorelines Citywide Study, funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-DR) funds for disaster recovery, received by the Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, evaluated more than six hundred miles of NYC shorelines to identify and prioritize locations in need of heightened coastal edges and reinforced shorelines. 

Melissa Johnson Associates assisted NYCEDC and the Mayor’s Office with stakeholder outreach and engagement as part of the environmental review process. MJA’s outreach plan for the project included emphasizing the benefits of the project and the traffic mitigation improvements that will take place prior to construction. Additionally, MJA helped NYCEDC coordinate with local emergency services, hold required public meetings (CRIA forum) as part of the environmental review process, facilitate communication to the community board, and receive approval of the project’s design by the Public Design Commission (PDC).