NYBG Maps NYC Blue Zones and Flood Risk More than one fifth of New York City is built on what used to be open water, marsh or tidal flats, according to new mapping by scientists at the New York Botanical Garden. These areas, termed “blue zones,” encompass parks, public housing, airports, and entire neighborhoods that currently flood or are projected to flood as sea levels rise and storms intensify. City planners emphasize that the overlap between historic wetlands and today’s dense development is creating difficult choices about where to allocate resources for floodproofing and where to eventually relocate housing and services. The mapping project, led by researchers at the New York Botanical Garden, combined historical ecology reconstructions with modern flood datasets to identify areas that once held rivers, marshes, or tidal flats and now face coastal or pluvial flood risks. The team integrated Welikia historical maps with FEMA flood layers, Department of Environmental Protection stormwater resiliency maps, and 311 flooding reports to create a digital, block-by-block tool. This tool allows users to search citywide and visualize how past water footprints align with current and projected flooding patterns. According to The City, approximately 1.2 million New Yorkers—about 12 percent of the city’s population—reside in blue zones, with roughly 11 percent of buildings located in these areas. The analysis reveals that nearly two-thirds of blue zone land faces coastal flooding risks, while other portions are prone to flooding from intense rainfall or a combination of coastal and rain-driven events. The mapping also highlights that major facilities, including John F.#new_york_city #laguardia_airport #john_f_kennedy_airport #new_york_botanical_garden #department_of_environmental_protection
