Assemblage Landscape Architecture

World Wetlands Day Did you know February 2nd is world Wetlands Day – a day to celebrate the incredible ecosystems that help protect our coasts, support wildlife, and combat climate change? What if the answer to rising seas and eroding coastlines wasn’t concrete and steel but something alive? Living shorelines challenge us to rethink how we protect and restore our coasts. They represent a shift from fighting against nature to working alongside it—a bold and hopeful vision for the future, where ecosystems and communities work together and thrive. Living shorelines are nature-based shoreline protection. By using natural materials in combination with native wetland plants and shellfish, these projects stabilize coastlines while creating vital habitats for wildlife. Over time, they grow stronger, adapting to changes and proving that resilience isn’t about rigidity- it’s about flexibility! And let’s face it - living shorelines are so much more inspiring than bulkheads and riprap. They remind us of our connection to the natural world, offering space where people can reconnect with the water, witness the return of wildlife, and feel the power of landscapes that are both beautiful and functional. The success of these projects relies on more than just engineering; it’s about vision and commitment. It’s about believing that we can create something better, something sustainable. When communities, designers, and ecologist come together, the results are extraordinary. ? ?

Flood Solutions Fair Highlight On Saturday, January 25th, I spoke at the Flood Solutions Fair in Brooklyn on the power of green infrastructure in building flood resilience. Addressing solutions from city-wide parks to community-driven rain gardens, the discussion highlighted how design, planning, and education form a “green infrastructure dream team” to protect our cities. Hosted by The City Sponge at Van Alen Institute, the event brought together a diverse group of contributors, including experts from Pratt Institute, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Rebuild by Design, Center for NYC Neighborhoods, NYC DEP, Insure Before, and Waterfront Alliance, as well as local elected officials and community leaders. Their insights and solutions emphasized how integrating nature-based strategies at every scale can reduce flood risks and create healthier, more adaptable urban spaces.

Building Resilient Cities: From Macro to Micro As our cities and communities face the challenges that arise from climate change, some of the solutions we need are already in our reach. Picture this: city resiliency parks, designed not only to beautify but to absorb and hold rainwater through smart infrastructure like permeable surfaces and underground pipes. These parks don’t just look good—they help reduce runoff and ease the strain on our drainage systems, creating spaces that work with nature, not against it. In neighborhoods, underutilized spaces—like vacant lots—can be transformed into green havens that absorb rainwater, reduce flooding, and bring communities together. Think of the power of a rain garden or a simple permeable walkway, turning unused spaces into vital, life-giving resources. At a residential level, every homeowner can make a difference! By swapping out concrete for gravel and creating rain-absorbing gardens on rooftops and yards, we can each play a part in reducing rainwater flows to the city drainage system. These simple actions, when added together, become a huge force for change. It doesn’t stop there! The real magic happens when we teach and engage our younger generations. By educating young people today, we’re inspiring tomorrow’s leaders and advocates who will carry forward the message of sustainability and resilience. Whether it be through education or volunteer work, we’re all part of a movement that’s shaping a better, more resilient future. All combined, these scales of resilient planning, design and education work as a “green infrastructure dream team” to protect our cities. By working together from the civic scale to the human scale, we can reduce flood risks one green space at a time.

Kingston Business Park, Kingston, NY Assemblage is proud to be a part of the design team for the Kingston Business Park redevelopment, partnering with Buro Happold and MVRDV to help shape a forward-thinking residential vision for the site. This 107-acre site, historically used for commercial purposes, is a key part of Kingston’s ambitious pro-housing initiative, aiming to add 1,000 new housing units by 2029. With the city’s new form-based zoning code emphasizing walkable, conservation-minding development, this project represents an opportunity to balance residential growth with ecological responsibility. By prioritizing smart land use and sustainable design, Assemblage is ensuring that the Kingston Business Park redevelopment not only meets housing needs but also enhances the environment for generations to come. Approaching the project with a regenerative and ecological mindset, Assemblage is integrating: ·?????A net-positive design approach that aspires to restore and enhance rather than simply “do no harm” ·?????Ecological restoration to regenerate site ecosystems and prepare for future landscape changes ·?????Forest Management to protect key species and maintain biodiversity ·?????Long-term management strategies to ensure a thriving, resilient environment

We’re contributing a designers perspective to the conversation about green infrastructure at the Flood Solutions Fair! Come join elected officials, civic organizations, policy experts and designers and trades this Saturday. Thanks to Nick Nyhan and the City Sponge for hosting!

Floating Wetlands: Revitalizing Urban Waterways Naturally Imagine a garden that floats entirely on water, transforming polluted canals and waterways into thriving ecosystems full of life. Floating wetlands are an innovative way to combat ecological challenges in our urban waterways. They mimic the functionality of natural wetlands while thriving in environments where traditional soil-based planting is not possible. These modules host a variety of plants whose roots extend into the water below providing habitat for aquatic life and improving water quality through natural filtration processes. By combining ecological restoration with vibrant visual appeal, floating wetlands bring unique blend of function and beauty to canals, rivers, and other urban waterways. At their core, floating wetlands are inspired by natural systems where plants grow in wet soils. These ecosystems serve as natures filters, removing pollutants from water while stabilizing the surrounding environment. Floating wetlands replicate these processes by allowing plant roots to absorb excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, common culprits of water pollution. As the plants grow and their roots expand, they create a thriving microhabitat for fish, insects, and other organisms, fostering biodiversity in otherwise neglectful or heavily polluted areas. An inspiring example is the Wild Mile, a collaborative project by Urban Rivers and partners like the City of Chicago and Shedd Aquarium, transforming urban waterways into vibrant wildlife sanctuaries and sustainable spaces (The Wild Mile). What sets floating wetlands apart from other nature-based shoreline solutions is their adaptability, which makes them well-suited to waterways that undergo frequent maintenance and change. These systems can be customized to suit various environmental needs; their modular design makes them scalable and versatile, allowing installation in a variety of settings without the need for extensive infrastructure. Moreover, floating wetlands are a great way of blending ecological engineering with urban design, turning underutilized waterways into vibrant ecological assets. As cities struggle with pollution and climate change, floating wetlands represent a practical way to restore our waterways and connect our communities to the natural world.

The Stories we Build: Reusing Materials with Purpose What if every brick, stone and piece of concrete carried a story – a glimpse into its history and origin. What if we treated materials with the care they deserve, salvaging not just the material, but the rich narratives they hold. In the design world, it is easy to overlook the potential that reusable materials have simply because they may not meet the technical demands of new structures. Even though this may be true, there is an opportunity: these materials are perfectly suitable for landscapes. Whether it be turning bricks into pathways or repurposing concrete into pavers, landscapes offer a new life for materials that would otherwise be destined for waste. Unlike demolition, deconstruction is an act of care—a process that identifies, preserves, and connects materials with relevant projects that need them. An important question to ask is: how do we deconstruct with intention? How do we treat materials with respect, preserving their ability for reuse and keeping their stories alive? The answers lie in reevaluating how we source and design projects, ensuring that every project has a meaningful legacy. By establishing clearer pathways for suppliers and designers to access and share materials, we unlock endless possibilities to implement both creativity and sustainability into our landscapes. When we choose to reuse materials, we aren’t just engaging sustainable practices -- we are embracing history and adding depth to our designs. Each piece of reusable material brings its own characters, its own story, and its own narrative that is a contribution to the site. A landscape that is built with reused materials isn’t just a landscape; it’s a conversation between past, present, and future.

Greener Corridors for NYC If you are a New York City denizen, you have likely experienced arterial roadway drawbacks firsthand: think about the last time you crossed Atlantic Ave. These wide roadways are dominated by asphalt and vehicles, generating significant noise, heat, and air pollution. Historically, these roadways have divided neighborhoods, displaced communities, and left a legacy of environmental and social inequalities. In their Greener Corridors initiative, the Municipal Art Society (MAS) recently emphasized the potential of urban greening to transform New York City’s streetscapes. As MAS notes, arterial roads are also some of the most underutilized opportunities for addressing issues like climate change, public health, and urban connectivity. Inspired by this perspective, we can explore how a greener city can address some of the most pressing challenges of our arterial roads. Expanding the urban tree canopy along these corridors is one way to begin this transformation. ?Trees play a vital role in improving air quality, reducing urban heat islands, and carbon capture, creating long-term benefits for everyone. By creating walkable, shaded greenways, these corridors turn barriers into vibrant connectors, fostering physical and mental well-being while bridging historical divides. ?By integrating trees and green infrastructure into urban design, we can redefine these spaces as communal resources that bring us together. Trees don’t just beautify a space, they foster social cohesion and equity, creating spaces where people can gather, connect, and thrive. The Greener Corridors initiative highlights the importance of reimagining these spaces comprehensively with urban tree canopies playing critical part of street infrastructure. We can reshape how we think about and navigate our cities with trees as the starting point. This isn’t just about including trees in the interstitial spaces and hoping they survive; it’s about ensuring both trees and people have the space they need to thrive—reconnecting communities, mitigating environmental harm, and fostering a more inclusive urban fabric. Transforming arterials into thriving greenways is also about building a future for all New Yorkers that can benefit from the health and resilience the urban forest provides. Read more about Greener Corridors: https://lnkd.in/eubes7Ms