© BuroHappold, Michael Van Valkenburg Associates
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On January 13, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the investment of around 270 million euros in a revitalization project for the Erie Canal. The project is part of an overarching initiative Cuomos, to strengthen the economic and ecological resilience of the state. The extensive redesign of the canal is intended to counteract flooding, improve irrigation for farms in western New York and restore ecosystems to nature. At the same time, the project aims to promote outdoor activities and stimulate regional tourism.
© WXY architecture + urban design, BuroHappold
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Competition as the basis
The work of the “Reimagine the Canals Task Force”, which is the result of a competition in 2019, provides the basis for the revitalization measures. The “Reimagine the Canals Competition” was organized to generate ideas for the future of the New York canal system. The competition management was taken over by the engineering office BuroHappold, which provided technical support for the entire revitalization project. They also contributed to the guiding principles for the actions that emerged from the competition ideas. The competition also resulted in the “Erie Canal Armada”, a three-day beer and regatta festival in September last year as a tribute to the historical significance of the canal for New York breweries, as well as “Canalside Pocket Neighborhoods”, a model for life on the water.
© BuroHappold, Office for Visual Interaction and Michael Van Valkenburg Associates
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The revitalization project is to be carried out over the next five years and, once completed, will enable future-oriented use of the canal and its banks. The first design phase with a volume of 165 million dollars (around 150 million euros) is to begin this year.
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