New York City is testing an unusual response to flash flooding with basketball courts expressly designed to temporarily store large amounts of water.
At a public housing complex in Queens, that idea turns a neighborhood recreation space into climate infrastructure while giving residents a better place to play, as Good Good Good detailed.
What happened?
Protecting neighborhoods from sudden flooding without giving up badly needed public space has become a focus in New York City in the five years since Hurricane Ida, the outlet noted.
One example is located beside the New York City Housing Authority's South Jamaica Houses. Called Water Square, the project rebuilt two basketball courts below grade so they can collect stormwater during flash floods instead of functioning like ordinary paved surfaces.
Each court can store up to 330,000 gallons of water, or about half as much as an Olympic-size pool, the company behind it, Grain Collective, told Fast Company.
"[The court] becomes like a sponge, which basically holds the water as much as it can," principal Runit Chhaya said.
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The stormwater is sent through underground pipes, filtered by bio-retention basins, and then slowly absorbed back into the ground, Good Good Good said.
Why does it matter?
Nearby homes can be put at risk when heavy rain overwhelms the city's aging sewer system and leaves streets flooded. That problem is becoming urgent as the changing climate contributes to more severe, less predictable storms.
Beyond flood protection, the courts also improve everyday life by giving residents an upgraded amenity.
"It's very hard to go to these communities and just start talking about climate change and flood protection because they are thinking about basic needs, and we are talking about infrastructure they didn't even ask for," Chhaya told Fast Company.
That approach could build support for future climate projects, especially in neighborhoods that have historically been underserved.
"It's by engaging with the residents that you build stewardship towards the project," Chhaya told Dezeen.
What's being done?
With the community's backing, Grain Collective, Hazen and Sawyer, and Marc Wouters Studios created the $5 million drainage system underneath Water Square. Designers drew inspiration from similar public-space projects in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The 3-foot-deep courts are intended to serve more than one purpose, designers said. When they are dry, they can be used for basketball games, movie nights, and farmers markets, keeping the area useful year-round.
Such projects are part of a broader city resilience effort that includes both major flood-control investments and neighborhood-level solutions, Good Good Good pointed out, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed off on a $43 million initiative to counter flooding in Lower Manhattan.
"As climate change accelerates, so, too, must our efforts to protect our communities," Mamdani said in a statement.
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