Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to. They were used to facilitate the city’s development in hilly areas. Students may be familiar with the Morningside Park retaining wall , present immediately East of the Columbia campus. Retaining walls facing streets are mapped and inspected. Not so retaining walls supporting soil at back yards. Because the NYC Building Department is not aware of the presence of most, they are not inspected and left to decay. A fatal collapse occurred in October 2020.

The project involved developing a computer application that identifies possible location of back yard retaining walls by measuring the difference of elevation between the streets that define a city block. The elevation of every street or road in NYC is available in open data. The tasks requires computer programing skills. Mapping capacity would be helpful. There is no need to understand the engineering used to maintain the stability of these structures.

This is a volunteer opportunity for students to use their skills for the social good.

Project Owners

The Department of Buildings promotes the safety of all people that build, work, and live in New York City by regulating the lawful use of over one million buildings and construction sites across the five boroughs. With a focus on safety, service, and integrity, the Department enforces the City’s Construction Codes, Zoning Resolution, and the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law.

The Department enforces compliance with these regulations and promotes worker and public safety through its review and approval of building plans, permitting and licensing functions, and inspections. In addition to Code and Zoning compliance review, emergency response and professional analysis of accidents to prevent future incidents, the Department has strengthened its education and outreach programs to provide the construction industry, property owners and tenants with a heightened understanding of safety awareness.

The Department is committed to providing efficient service to all New Yorkers by continuously assessing the equitable distribution of resources to meet the safety and permitting needs of residents across all five boroughs; enhancing the quality of life for all New Yorkers and making our City safer.

Project timeline

  • Earliest starting date: 03/01/2021
  • End date:
  • Number of hours per week of research expected during Spring 2021: ~10
  • Number of hours per week of research expected during Summer 2021: ~10
  • Project is ongoing and will be reviewed for future directions at the end of the semester

Candidate requirements

  • Skills:
    • Familiarity with geospatial/mapping data
    • Programming
  • Student eligibility: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, master’s
  • International students: eligible