ASCE has honored Staten Island Bluebelt Project with the 2024 Innovation in Sustainable Civil Engineering Award for sustainable urban development; the design of the Staten Island Bluebelt incorporates innovative, nature-based solutions that enhance resilience in the face of climate change by utilizing natural systems to reduce the risk of flooding, control erosion, and improve water quality.
The program preserves natural drainage corridors such as streams, creeks, and ponds, and optimizes them to help control and filter stormwater from surrounding neighborhoods. The Bluebelts also provide important spaces and serve as a habitat for diverse wildlife.
The award-winning approach was pioneered by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and has served as the standard for fusing natural areas and hardened infrastructure to reduce the increasingly worsening impacts of flooding on residents. It was one of the first systems of its kind to effectively mitigate flooding at a large scale while simultaneously protecting the environment. Its effects have also stretched past simply keeping water of the streets, having also helped protect against pollution.
The Bluebelts received the Envision Silver Award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, only the second project in NYC ever to receive the commendation.
The Innovation in Sustainable Engineering Award recognizes a civil engineering project for its creativity in the form of innovative sustainability. Projects must demonstrate adherence to the principles of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
