Rebuilding on the front lines of design
Design team seeks community input at March 4 discussion
Next week at Asbury Park’s ShowRoom Cinema, the public is invited to a presentation that outlines avant garde design ideas that would serve to bolster the city’s resilience against future storms.
The ideas come from a team of individuals involved in an interdisciplinary design competition, Rebuild by Design. Rebuild by Design is an initiative of President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Task Force and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The competition aims to identify structural and environmental vulnerabilities exposed by Hurricane Sandy throughout the region in order to come up with unique design ideas that would make them more resilient during future storm events, according to the website.
There are currently two teams working to have their ideas implemented in Asbury Park. They are the “Sasaki Team” and the “HR&A” team. Both are comprised of building and landscape architects, designers, planners, community development specialists, ecologists and other professionals. The Sasaki Team is focused on flood protection and ecological conservation whereas the HR&A team is focused on commercial corridors that are valuable to the region. For the past several months, they have been on the ground talking to stakeholders and gathering data in Asbury Park.
Last month, a representative from each team gave a short presentation to City Council outlining the Rebuild by Design competition. Members from the Sasaki team will present more detailed information and design ideas to the general public at The ShowRoom Tuesday, March 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. RSVP for the presentation through the eventbrite invitation page or through the event’s Facebook page.
The presentation, Rebuilding Better – Asbury Park’s Resilient Future, will explore post-Sandy ideas for improving the natural ecology, protecting the shore, preparing for weather events, and preserving the “beach” culture, according to a release from the group. During the presentation, the trailer for the film “Shored Up” will be shown.
Input from members of the community is sought by the team, who are required to gain support of local stakeholders and get them actively engaged in the development of possible design solutions in order to see them realized. The proposals include three specific areas of interest: the boardwalk, coastal lakes and streetscapes.
By the end of the competition, the top design teams will be given Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief funds to put their ideas into action.
The group has created an interactive tool that acts as a survey which allows members of the public to rate their preferences for preservation, and what projects and policies they prioritize. Click here to access the tool.
The ShowRoom Cinema is located at 707 Cookman Ave.
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