Access and resilience

We plan places that are prepared for shocks and stresses, to provide everyone with the foundations of health – clean air and water, nutritious food and a safe home – no matter what the future holds.

United States

Ramona Gardens Natural Park, Los Angeles

Ramona Gardens is in the top 1% of the most polluted communities in California. Residents suffer disproportionately high levels of respiratory diseases, with children suffering from asthma at twice the state average.

The reason is just 150 feet away. The neighborhood is adjacent to a 15-lane transport corridor, including one of the USA’s busiest freeways, and residents are subjected to fumes and noise of around 218,000 cars and trucks every day.

In partnership with the community and Legacy LA, WSP showed we could reduce air pollution impacts by transforming a four-acre strip of under-utilized land between the neighborhood and freeway into a living, anti-pollution buffer - a green ‘Natural Park’.

Read the case study

Img-Sleepy-Hollow East Parcel Climate Resilient Redevelopment Plan-Square

United States

Sleepy Hollow East Parcel Climate Resilient Redevelopment Plan, New York

Vacant since the 1990s, the former site of a General Motors assembly plant is finally getting the attention it needs to revitalize the waterfront of a historic village 30 miles north of New York City. The village will soon be the location of a new legend for the community, as civic leaders and developers give the low-lying, impervious brownfield site a new purpose as a resilient civic focal point and community destination.

Read the case study

United Kingdom

Waterbeach New Town East

At Waterbeach New Town East, to the north of Cambridge, we are designing a place which challenges the dominance of the car and promotes a holistic vision of health and wellbeing. A relocated train station and peripheral car parking will help free up space for pedestrians and cyclists and improve air quality and safety, while encouraging social interaction and outdoor activity. The vision is of a space that combines the best of urban and rural – where you can access everything you need without driving but still enjoy green open spaces and a sense of community.

Read the case study

Case studies

Stockholm, Sweden

Väsjön Urban Development Project

As general consultant for the municipality of Sollentuna, WSP is working on an exciting sustainable neighbourhood in Väsjön, Stockholm.

Christchurch, New Zealand

Urban Creek Waterway Visions, Christchurch

Our water resources and flood risk management team is using water-led approaches to envision improvements for the social, cultural and environmental value of urban creek catchments in Christchurch.

London English GL

Natural remedy: how rain gardens are keeping Marylebone’s streets flood-free

WSP is harnessing the power of nature in London’s Marylebone by using ‘rain gardens’ to help prevent floods and create a healthier, more attractive, environment for residents and visitors.

Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, USA

Alaska, USA

Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for an "At-Risk" Community

Shaktoolik, Alaska, is a remote village of 260 people, located 125 miles east of Nome, on a narrow spit of land between the Tagoomenik River and the Bering Sea. Brightly painted houses line either side of the village’s only road, a 1-mile stretch of sand and gravel.

Discover our latest insights

thn-Winners-without-losers-better-normal

Net Zero: Can We Have Winners Without Losers?

The transition to a zero-carbon society will only succeed if we recognize the impacts on different sectors of society, and ensure that no one is left behind

The World Wide Water Web Depends On Natural Storage

The world’s water supply is under pressure today. Countries and regions around the globe are challenged to find better ways to address water scarcity.

Rethinking Urban Planning in a Post COVID World

Is COVID-19 pushing urban planners to think aloud about redesigning more resilient cities?

thn-new-ways-to-feed-fast-growing-population

New Ways To Feed Fast-Growing 21st Century Cities

Our food system isn’t sustainable and it isn’t working. We urgently need to find new ways to feed fast-growing 21st century cities — or to help them feed themselves