Impacts of Sea Level Rise: RPA Report on Affordable Housing

Pending 1.5 LU | 1.5 HSW Credits

Organized by the AIANY Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee in collaboration with the AIANY Housing Committee and the AIANY Design for Aging Committee, this panel discussion brings together leaders in regional planning, public housing, and urban design to confront one of the most pressing challenges facing New York City’s future: climate-driven flooding and its impact on housing.

Anchored by the Regional Planning Association’s April report projecting that 82,000 existing housing units could be lost to flooding by 2040, the conversation draws on expertise from public-sector housing leadership, regional planning, and architectural practice. Together, the panel examines how data-driven risk assessment, public-sector innovation, and design excellence can inform resilient housing strategies—particularly along New York City’s waterfront.

Through case studies of planned and built projects, the discussion highlights approaches that both protect vulnerable communities and create new housing opportunities, integrating flood mitigation, adaptive reuse, master planning, and preservation. Special attention will be given to the needs of aging residents and the long-term viability of public and affordable housing in flood-prone areas.

By aligning climate resilience with housing equity, accessibility, and growth, the panel offers a forward-looking framework for how architects, planners, policymakers, and housing advocates can respond to rising seas without retreating from the city’s waterfront.

Speakers:
Moses Gates, Vice President for Housing and Neighborhood Planning at RPA (Regional Plan Association)
Jenny Gillette, RA, Chief Project Officer at the NYC Public Housing Preservation Trust
Rayna Erlich, AIA, Principal at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners
Runit Chhaya, Grain Collective 

Moderator:
Kimberlae Saul, AIA, DBIA, Vice President for Planning and Design, Battery Park City Authority