The neighbourhood’s piers and docks buzzed with activity, connecting the city to global trade routes. However, the latter half of the 20th century saw a precipitous decline in the industrial sector, accompanied by disinvestment and neglect, leaving Red Hook with pockets of underutilized waterfront land and an aging-built environment. As sea levels rise and the frequency of extreme weather events intensifies, Red Hook has found itself on the frontlines of climate-induced challenges. Super-storm Sandy in 2012 served as a devastating wake-up call, inundating the neighbourhood and laying bare the vulnerabilities of its low-lying topography. The event spurred a collective realization that business-as-usual urban planning and development practices were inadequate in the face of a rapidly changing climate.