Title

Digitally Mapping New York City’s Underground

New York, NY

Contact

PROJECT LEAD

Debra, Carlos Laefer

CONTACT INFO

  • dfl256@nyu.edu, cer202@nyu.edu

THE IDEA

The New York team implemented UNUM to develop a subsurface infrastructure data model and map for natural disaster risk identification and mitigation measures.

THE CHALLENGE

Underground infrastructure systems are critical to New York City, and these systems are vulnerable to natural disasters and accidental failures. Subsurface data is not publicly accessible in an interoperable format.

UNUM (Unification for Underground resilience Measures) engaged and collaborated with multiple stakeholders to apply the Underground Data Definition and Interchange (MUDDI) model to create a roadmap for the implementation of a subsurface data model and map.

THE TEAM

Research Partners: 

  • New York University
 

Civic Partners:

  • NYC Geospatial Information Systems and Mapping Organization
  • Open Geospatial Consortium
  • Ginkgo

THE APPROACH

UNUM worked with utility companies, city agencies and consultants to draw a roadmap for city-level implementation. This work included a subsurface data model and assembled two pilot data sets to equip the study sites against natural disasters.

THE IMPACT

  • Customized the Open Geospatial Consortium MUDDI model for NYC utilities/government agencies

  • Created a tool to empower communities that combines all publicly available data on underground infrastructure and provided one pilot area with a digital twin

  • Conducted two focus groups and two surveys to identify key issues regarding collaboration mechanisms and perceived challenges