Today, the connection between Manhattan and Coney Island is over-constructed, turning Coney Island into more of a peninsula than a true island. However, the “Sea Gate” gated community remains isolated, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on three sides and enclosed by a wall on the fourth, with only two entrances restricted to residents.
Ten years after Hurricane Sandy devastated Coney Island, the community is still grappling with its aftermath, nearly 80% of Sea Gate residents were displaced for over a year, struggling with funding shortages and mismanagement as they attempted to return to their homes. Despite billions in government investment aimed at recovery, much of the federal aid benefitted the private Sea Gate community, leaving broader resilience needs unaddressed. As climate change threatens to increase the frequency and intensity of storms, Coney Island’s mid-20th-century infrastructure remains ill-equipped to withstand future disaster In implementing these interventions, a gradual and sustained design approach should prioritize the well-being of the Sea Gate community while also working towards a more resilient shared infrastructure for all of Coney Island. A non-traditional reimagining of public and private spaces between the communities could be key to transforming the flood-prone landscape of Coney Island.
