HENRY HUDSON CLIMATE ADAPTIVE WATERFRONT PARK
Community driven design for a climate adaptive park
Henry Hudson Riverfront Park is an existing 7 acre park situated along the Hudson River. Assemblage has led two phases of the climate-adaptive redesign: Phase 1 (completed 2022) established the community-driven park design, and Phase 2 (2025 completion) conducted investigations, secured approvals, and produced bid documents for implementation.
The park, already subject to seasonal tidal flooding, will be further impacted by sea level rise in the future. The resulting framework plan is adaptive to sea level rise, regenerates the shoreline’s intertidal ecology, and maintains waterfront recreational access that is critical to the Hudson community.
With a projected 54” rise in sea level projected to occur by the year 2080, the design team proposed embrace the advancing water in some areas, and to raise a key part of the shoreline that is most popular with the community. Additionally, moving parking back to the street and away from the shoreline will prioritize pedestrian use of the waterfront.
The design is grounded in a rigorous community engagement process that helped establish the design priorities: new accessible paths, living shorelines in the protected bays, an elevated knoll and fishing pier, new water access points, a nature play area, and a restored woodland and estuarine education space.
Restoring & activating a historic industrial site along the Hudson River
Location: Hudson, New York
Client: City of Hudson, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Services Provided: Landscape Architecture, Community & Stakeholder Engagement, Resiliency Design & Planning
Collaborators: LaBella Associates, eDesign Dynamics, & youarethecity

