National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) - Resilient Bridgeport
State of Connecticut

The application was the highest scoring in the competition and garnered $54 million in HUD CDBG-DR funding to construct the Resilient Bridgeport pilot project and develop a regional resilience strategy for its vulnerable coast. ​​Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched Rebuild by Design (RBD), an innovative design competition that brought together interdisciplinary teams of researchers, designers, engineers, businesses, policy-makers and local groups to craft solutions that communities against future climate risks. Building on the success of Rebuild by Design, in September 2014, HUD launched a $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC).

​As head of a multi-disciplinary consulting team, the team worked side-by-side with the newly formed Connecticut State Agencies Fostering Resilience (SAFR) committee, leading the development of two comprehensive resilience plans and pilot project interventions in the cities of New Haven and Bridgeport, creating a roadmap for longterm resilience planning in coastal and riverine communities damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and working with state agencies to craft policies that equitably promote resilience across the entire state.

The $48 million Resilient Bridgeport provides a long-term, holistic approach to resilience, incorporating a street raising strategy to lift the surrounding development datum, an integrated flood protection system that connects to affordable housing, an earthen berm that serves as a park element, and an energy strategy to create hardened infrastructure and employment opportunities. This layered approach will protect a vulnerable and disenfranchised community while providing new economic development opportunities, improving mobility, and enhancing quality of life. WSP is leading the implementation of the Resilient Bridgeport project, overseeing the design, engineering, and environmental review services.