NYC’s First Brooklyn Bluebelt Will Transform 60-Acre Lake and Surrounding Landscape to Combat Intensifying Flash Floods
Major Climate Adaptation Investment
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a $68 million initiative to construct Brooklyn’s first Bluebelt system in Prospect Park, utilizing nature-based solutions to combat increasingly severe flash flooding. The comprehensive project will upgrade the park’s drainage infrastructure, construct new retention ponds, and create extensive rain gardens designed to collect and manage rainwater more effectively. The investment represents a significant expansion of the city’s climate resilience efforts as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense. Prospect Park’s 60-acre lake will undergo substantial drainage infrastructure improvements enabling water levels to drop in less than 36 hours following major rainfall events. Currently, the lake’s limited absorption capacity during storms causes overflow that strains the surrounding sewer system and contributes to flooding in adjacent Brooklyn neighborhoods. The Department of Environmental Protection conducted a year-long study examining flooding patterns in communities surrounding the park and analyzing how stormwater moves through the landscape.
Rising Rainfall Challenges
The project addresses a growing climate threat documented by the New York City Panel on Climate Change. According to their latest assessment, average annual rainfall in New York City is projected to increase by up to 14 percent by the 2050s and 22 percent by the 2080s. The frequency of extreme rainfall events is expected to rise correspondingly. These projections build upon observed trends showing extreme rainfall in the New York City region has already increased approximately 60 percent since the 1950s, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment. This makes the Northeast the region experiencing the largest increases in extreme precipitation nationally. Recent storm events have demonstrated the vulnerability of city infrastructure. In July 2025, two slow-moving storms dumped torrential rain causing evacuations and numerous transit and road closures. On October 30, another record-setting rainstorm caused additional havoc and led to two deaths. A spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection noted these events continue a recent pattern of short but wildly intense downpours becoming increasingly common.
Comprehensive Stormwater Management Approach
The Prospect Park Bluebelt will employ multiple strategies to manage stormwater more effectively. The project will upgrade the lake’s drainage infrastructure to improve its capacity to absorb and process floodwaters. A new pond will be constructed to provide additional water storage capacity during storm events. A continuous stretch of rain gardens will be installed to slow and filter rainwater as it drains toward the lake, reducing the volume and speed of runoff entering the water body. Additionally, the project will restore a pond north of the Prospect Park Zoo that was previously filled in. This restored feature will collect rainwater from Flatbush Avenue, one of Brooklyn’s major thoroughfares, preventing street runoff from overwhelming storm sewers. The Department of Environmental Protection study found that during intense storms, rainwater often rushes over the ground surface rather than into the lake, causing flooding in surrounding areas. The new infrastructure will intercept this runoff before it causes problems.
Complementary Infrastructure Projects
The Bluebelt initiative complements the $20 million Lakeshore Restoration Plan that will reconstruct Prospect Park Lake’s shoreline with green infrastructure specifically designed for stormwater management. The combined projects represent nearly $90 million in climate resilience investments focused on this single park. NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa emphasized that public parks can serve as natural infrastructure making the city more resilient to climate impacts. This approach recognizes that green spaces provide multiple benefits beyond recreation, including flood control, air quality improvement, and urban heat island mitigation. DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala stated that utilizing Prospect Park for stormwater management transforms one of Brooklyn’s most cherished public spaces into a powerful climate resilience tool. The project demonstrates how existing infrastructure can be reimagined to address 21st-century challenges without sacrificing the recreational and cultural values that make parks essential to urban life.
Proven Bluebelt Success
The city’s first Bluebelt system was completed in Staten Island in 2023 at a cost of $110 million. That project drains and naturally filters stormwater into catch basins and storm sewers before discharge into lower New York Bay. The Staten Island experience provided valuable lessons informing the Prospect Park design. Bluebelt systems use natural landscape features including streams, ponds, and wetlands to manage stormwater rather than relying solely on conventional gray infrastructure like pipes and treatment plants. This approach often proves more cost-effective while providing additional environmental benefits. According to the World Economic Forum, nature-based solutions utilizing green and blue infrastructure are on average 50 percent more cost-effective than engineered alternatives and deliver 28 percent more added value.
Global Context: The Sponge Cities Movement
The Prospect Park Bluebelt aligns with an emerging global approach to urban flooding known as “sponge cities.” This concept emphasizes using wetlands, rain gardens, permeable surfaces, and other features to absorb water and prevent runoff rather than rapidly channeling stormwater into drainage systems. Atlantic International University reports that cities implementing sponge city principles are gaining recognition for their effectiveness in managing urban flooding while providing co-benefits including improved water quality, enhanced biodiversity, and expanded green space. The approach represents a paradigm shift from trying to move water away as quickly as possible to retaining it temporarily and releasing it gradually. New Orleans has implemented green infrastructure to supplement rebuilt levees following Hurricane Katrina. Denver’s riverfront development incorporates its river into flood control strategies. These examples demonstrate growing recognition that nature-based solutions offer viable alternatives or complements to traditional engineering approaches. The World Economic Forum notes that green infrastructure projects often create jobs, improve property values, and enhance quality of life in addition to managing stormwater.
Project Implementation and Timeline
The Department of Environmental Protection, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and the Prospect Park Alliance will collaborate on implementing the comprehensive project. This partnership approach ensures that flood management objectives are balanced with maintaining the park’s recreational value and historical character. Construction timelines have not been publicly announced, though projects of this scale typically require several years from design through completion. The complexity of working within an active park setting while upgrading major infrastructure presents logistical challenges that must be carefully managed to minimize disruption to park users. Community engagement will likely play an important role throughout the process. Brooklyn residents have long valued Prospect Park as a vital green space, and ensuring their concerns are addressed will be crucial to the project’s success.
Broader Climate Resilience Strategy
The Prospect Park Bluebelt represents one component of New York City’s broader climate adaptation strategy. The city faces multiple climate threats including sea level rise, coastal storm surge, extreme heat, and aging infrastructure vulnerable to weather events. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated investments across multiple sectors and neighborhoods. Mayor Adams has emphasized climate resilience as a priority, recognizing that failing to adapt to changing conditions would prove far more costly than proactive investments. The administration has proposed numerous initiatives addressing different aspects of climate vulnerability, from strengthening coastal defenses to upgrading electrical systems to improving building energy efficiency. The success of nature-based solutions like the Prospect Park Bluebelt could influence future infrastructure decisions citywide. If the project demonstrates effective flood control while enhancing park amenities, it may serve as a model for similar investments in other neighborhoods facing flooding challenges. For more information on climate adaptation strategies, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group provides resources on urban climate action. As climate change continues affecting weather patterns, New York City’s willingness to invest significantly in adaptation measures like the Prospect Park Bluebelt signals recognition that protecting residents and infrastructure requires immediate action rather than waiting for conditions to worsen further.
