Waterfront Events

• Please Don’t Flush (Gowanus)

  Tuesday September 22, 2026 6:30pm-8:30pm

  Van Alen (Gowanus)

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Sabina Sethi Unni, New York City Emergency Management, Waterfront Alliance

  Please Don’t Flush is a humorous public theater experience exploring flooding, community decision-making, and climate resilience. Created with Waterfront Alliance and NYC Emergency Management, the performance brings music, laughs, and flood preparedness resources to public spaces across NYC.

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• Whose Waterfront? Balancing Access, Safety, and Community Priorities

  Tuesday September 22, 2026 12pm-1pm

  Zoom/online

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance

  This session invites community leaders, youth advocates, designers, and policymakers to explore how we can keep our shorelines open, safe, and welcoming while preparing for rising seas. From open space to storm barriers, from cultural uses to maritime industry, we’ll examine the trade‑offs.

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• Interdisciplinary Charette: Creative Solutions to Advance New York City’s Resilience Priorities

  Tuesday September 22, 2026 12pm-1pm

  Building 309 (the chapel) on Governors Island

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance, HNTB, NY Climate Exchange

  Join leaders from government, community organizations, academia, and industry for a collaborative workshop on advancing climate resilience. Through a hands-on charrette, participants will develop actionable solutions to help turn New York City's climate commitments into implementation.

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• Waterfront Alliance Office Hours (Climate Week Edition!)

  Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:30pm-3:30pm

  Waterfront Alliance Office

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance

  Stop by Waterfront Alliance's open office hours during Climate Week NYC. Recharge, connect with climate professionals, learn about our work, meet our team, and take a break between events. Registration is required for building access.

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• Green or Gray? What Communities Gain and Lose from Different Resilience Solutions

  Wednesday September 23, 2026 12pm-1pm

  Zoom/online

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance

  This panel looks at the real-world impacts of bioswales, berms, seawalls, stormwater tunnels, wetlands, and hybrid systems. What feels safe? What feels imposed? What works, and for whom? Hear from neighborhoods that have experienced both the benefits and burdens of different resilience approaches.

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• By Water, By Design: A Climate Week WEDG® Harbor Tour

  Wednesday September 23, 2026 1:30pm-3:30pm

  Pier 81

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance, AIA New York Design for Risk and Reconstruction (DfRR) Committee

  Set sail with Waterfront Alliance and AIA New York to explore leading WEDG® projects across New York Harbor. Hear from architects, planners, and project teams about innovative approaches to climate resilience, ecological restoration, sustainability, and equitable waterfront access.

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• Climate Stories on the Waterfront

  Wednesday September 23, 2026 6pm-8:30pm

  South Street Seaport Museum (Pier 16)

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance, Climate Film Festival, South Street Seaport Museum

  Join Climate Film Festival, South Street Seaport Museum, and Waterfront Alliance for an evening of film and conversation exploring climate impacts, resilience, and the role of communities in shaping a more resilient future for New York's waterfronts.

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• Who Decides? Community Power, Urgency, and the Realities of Climate Decision-Making

  Thursday September 24, 2026 12pm-1pm

  Zoom/online

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance

  When should agencies slow down to listen, and when does delay put lives at risk? We’ll explore the line between NIMBYism and legitimate community concerns, the pitfalls of top‑down planning, and the power of community‑led decision-making.

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• Climate Governance in City Flooding Strategies

  Thursday September 24, 2026 1pm-2:30pm

  440 W. 21st St., New York, NY 10011

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance, Vanderbilt University, AIA New York Design for Risk and Reconstruction (DfRR) Committee

  Explore how governance, collaboration, and innovative funding can advance flood resilience in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Experts will discuss nature-based solutions, resilient infrastructure, and new approaches to balancing community, environmental, and economic priorities.

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• Who Pays for Protection? Financing a Just Climate Future

  Friday September 25, 2026 12pm-1pm

  Zoom/online

  
  

  Organized/Presented by:

  Waterfront Alliance

  Resilience isn’t just a technical challenge — it’s a financial one. This session explores public, private, and hybrid financing models through a justice lens. We’ll look at how resilience investments impact rents, property taxes, insurance costs, small businesses, and frontline families.

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New York Harbor and surrounding waterways offer many ways to have fun and explore our region’s 700+ miles of waterfront! Head out on the water for kayaking and sailing trips; attend conferences, presentations, and workshops; or discover one of the many other unique ways to get out on and learn about our waterfront.