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East Side Coastal Resiliency – Integrating Flood Protection Infrastructure in NYC’s Public Waterfront – 1.5 CEU (Approved)
The first phase of East River Park is part of the larger East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the first New York City capital project to protect Lower Manhattan from sea level rise and coastal flooding following Hurricane Sandy. The project reimagines the interaction between flood protection infrastructure, community, and nature to protect over 110,000 local residents from coastal flooding – all while improving the accessibility, quality, and resiliency of the city’s public waterfront.
MNLA will lead a walking tour of the newly opened section of East River Park at the Delancey Bridge crossing and discuss the design process, key features of the park, integrated resiliency measures, and community-oriented design.
Meet at the entrance to the Delancey Street pedestrian bridge, at the intersection of Delancey Street South and Mangin Street at 6:30pm
Cash Bar at ‘The Ten Bells’ for any post-tour networking
A big thank-you to KOMPAN and UNILOCK for sponsoring this tour!

Tour Leader Bios
Molly Bourne, RLA, FASLA
In 33 years of practice, Molly Bourne has championed the design of vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable public open spaces that enrich communities and nurture human connections. She utilizes technical expertise to effortlessly incorporate her vision into the urban landscape, creating realizations that honor and celebrate the public realm. She is dedicated to elevated design thinking that advances the public good with a focus on reinvigorated waterfronts. Since joining MNLA in 1999, Molly has led award-winning, multidisciplinary teams on high-profile projects for waterfront parks, cultural institutions, and urban revitalization. As Principal at MNLA, she has elevated the firm’s design voice which is upheld by an iterative process, experienced collaboration, and exhaustive research and analysis. Viewing landscape architecture as a way to improve the human condition, Molly received her BA at the University of Florida.
Emily Gordon, RLA, ASLA
Emily is an Associate at MNLA. Since joining the firm in 2012, she has contributed to a collection of the firm’s prominent public, institutional, and waterfront projects, with a particular focus in climate resilience. Key projects include Little Island, East Side Coastal Resiliency, Smith College Masterplan, and the FiDi and Seaport Climate Resilience Plan. Her approach to design is rooted in a deep understanding of site and history, paired with a belief in the transformative power of landscape to elevate mutually beneficial social and ecologic outcomes. At MNLA, she leads initiatives focused on the improvement and implementation of community engagement methodologies. Emily received a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 2012.
Michele Richmond, RLA, ISA, SITES AP, WEDG
Michele is an Associate at MNLA with a background that ranges from public open space to community-driven development and affordable housing. She is driven by a holistic approach to deliver thoughtful, sound design solutions that enrich the human experience while also building ecological, social and cultural resources in the community. At MNLA, Michele has been deeply involved in the design and construction of East Side Coastal Resiliency, Penn District Improvements, the implementation of the Hudson Square Street Tree Standard, Master Planning at Long Island Lutheran High School, and various campus improvements at St. Luke’s School in Manhattan. Michele received a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and is an ISA certified arborist.
