NEWS

Rendering here — provided by SCAPE and Bjarke Ingels Group — is of the marsh and waterfront on Manresa Island, currently a brownfield site. A Norwalk, Conn., couple is planning to transform the tract into ecological park for the city.

As mentioned before, EDD is proud to be leading the Natural Resources design for the Manresa Island Masterplan, focusing on preservation, enhancement, and restoration of the saltmarsh, terrestrial forests, and shoreline habitats.

A few more details: EDD performed detailed existing conditions and habitat surveys of the site and organized the restoration and habitat design strategies for the future park, including the creation of a vital Atlantic white cedar swamp in the remnants of a post-industrial landscape. EDD’s design interventions and restoration strategies seek to bolster vital habitats for key regional migratory bird- and intertidal-species while creating opportunities to strengthen community stewardship of essential saltmarsh habitats. These efforts will also provide new partnerships within the scientific community to study methods for habitat resiliency to sea level rise and climate change.

Read the NYT article here>

eDD’s Founder, Franco Montalto, was named one of three co-chairs on the esteemed panel of nineteen to help address New York City’s resilience in the face of climate emergencies. The fifth NYC Panel on Climate Change (NPCC5) is an independent advisory body that synthesizes scientific information on climate change and advises city policymakers on local resiliency and adaptation strategies that protect against extreme heat, heavy rain, coastal storm surge, and other climate hazards. Their research and findings will continue to inform the Adams administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure that New York City is prepared for the impacts of climate change.

Read the full Press Release from the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice here>

We are honored to have recently received an American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Honor Award for Analysis and Planning for our work on Sojourner Truth State Park!

eDD served as the lead ecological consultant to complete a comprehensive evaluation of the 520-acre former industrial zone and limestone quarry in Kingston, NY, on the western banks of the Hudson River for the client, Scenic Hudson. eDD, in cooperation with two partners — the lead designer, The Olin Studio, and Hudsonia — conducted an ecological and hydrological site survey to determine the role that site hydrology and subsurface conditions play in supporting existing habitats. eDD mapped habitats, soil, and surface water observations and prepared a natural resource inventory to inform priority recommendations for habitat preservation and restoration. eDD completed an FQA (Floristic Quality Assessment) for the final master plan which included recommendations for a range of interventions to enhance ecological, recreational, and educational benefits on a local scale while also addressing the site’s larger role in the Hudson River Estuary and negotiating park maintenance, cost, and various site users.

Images are from our slide presentation of this project. 

eDD’s Managing Partner, Eric Rothstein, spoke at the 2024 National Conference for the American Society of Landscape Architecture on Sunday, October 6th, in DC. His session, “Rewilding a Post-industrial Landscape: A Story About Diversity,” was presented with Heather Blaikie, ASLA, PLA, of ScenicHudson.org, and Marni Burns, ASLA, PLA, of TheOlinStudio.com.

They explored how regenerative processes of unique ecosystems, in a 520-acre quarried landscape with a mile of Hudson River shoreline, can be amplified as a model for bolstering biodiversity in the transformation of a large-scale post-industrial site to deliver inclusive community gathering spaces within a framework of interpretation and recovery.

Read about the specific learning outcomes of their presentation here>

Click photos to enlarge:

eDesign Dynamics is proud to be the natural restoration designer on this job featured in the New York Times — the transformation of an abandoned industrial site into an ecological waterfront park in a part of Norwalk, Connecticut called Manresa Island.

Read the full article here>