The project addresses the urgent need for adaptable emergency infrastructure in New York City by leveraging the city’s existing food truck system. Recognizing the limitations of traditional evacuation centers—often rigid and disruptive to daily life—the proposal introduces a hybrid network of fixed depots and mobile food trucks that supports both everyday operations and emergency response. It uncovers the hidden logistics of food truck depots and highlights their essential role in sustaining immigrant livelihoods.
Rolling Relief consists of a fixed production depot in Long Island City and three assembly points in Midtown East. In everyday conditions, these sites function as public plazas with vendor support hubs. During crises such as heatwaves, flooding, or power outages, they transform into food distribution centers, charging stations, and medical relief zones through the use of a plug-in food truck typology. This approach allows for spatial expansion and the activation of emergency programs as needed.
Rolling Relief integrates emergency preparedness into the fabric of daily urban life, all the while supporting an often-overlooked workforce. Designed as a framework, this proposal can grow and adapt to various scales and conditions, preparing New York City for looming crises.
