DENMARK'S MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT TOURS THE EAST SIDE COASTAL RESILIENCY PROJECT IN MANHATTAN

Denmark’s Minister of Environment, Magnus Heunicke, and a Danish delegation visited BIG NYC to tour the early phases of the coastal resiliency project The BIG U, a flood management system protecting Lower Manhattan. The first phase is a 2.5 mile stretch from East 23rd Street to Montgomery Street in the Lower East Side that is fully financed at $1.4 Billion with a completion date in 2026. BIG NYC Partners Kai-Uwe Bergmann and Daniel Sundlin discussed the project’s proposal to rethink infrastructure as a social amenity that both protects structural and environmental vulnerabilities while enhancing social and recreational activity. The BIG U combines the mandate to create large-scale protective infrastructure with a commitment to meaningful community engagement.