Rising global temperatures have accelerated the melting of ice sheets, and the resulting rise in sea levels has impacted the safety of coastal areas. Many coastal cities are planning adaptation measures, such as building seawalls, reconsidering roads and drainage systems, planting waterabsorbing vegetation, and even relocating people to higher ground. More and more coastal cities are conducting resilience planning research and practice for flood prevention and disaster reduction purpose. As early as 2007, New York recognized the serious threat of rising sea levels to urban flood control and launched a long-term sustainable development plan, the New York Plan (PlaNYC), which included forward-looking resilience initiatives, carried out relevant climate forecasts, flood risk assessments, and improved building flood control standards, which provided important protection during Hurricane Sandy. In 2011, the Climate Resilience Initiative was proposed. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 caused the worst natural disaster in New York’s history. Post-Sandy recovery has been an unprecedented team effort. New York City redraws flood maps by integrating various technologies, promulgates technical guidelines for coastal resilience to improve coastal protection, and promulgates various land use resilience plans, as well as multiple government reports to improve urban resilience. In addition, a coastline protection system was built, and social forces were attracted through design competitions to carry out pilot construction. The Zoning Regulations were revised to define “Special Coastal Risk District” and control building categories and construction intensity. In terms of rescue funds, many rescue bills and reconstruction acquisition programs were promulgated, and various forms of housing construction and resilience construction funding assistance were carried out. This article systematically reviews the various measures taken by New York to improve urban resilience in response to the threat of rising sea levels. To summarize its resilience planning experience, firstly, a five-level classification research system of “climate resilience research-comprehensive planning initiatives-resilience guidelines for various types of land use-engineering technical methods-resilience planning practices” is constructed, and each level supports each other. Secondly, a multi-institutional post-disaster response system was built many years before Hurricane Sandy, forming a disaster relief system of pre-disaster prediction, coordinated rescue during the event, and post-disaster financial subsidies. Thirdly, coastal disaster prevention is integrated into the daily lives of residents, and various forms of public participation activities are carried out to enhance coastal resilience supervision and protection. At risk from sea level rise, China’s coastal areas are seriously threatened by marine disasters. In May 2022, the “National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035” was promulgated, which proposed the construction goal of “building a more resilient coastal zone comprehensive protection system”. The work of coastal resilience has been promoted at the national level. A systematic analysis of New York’s coastal resilience construction can provide reference for my country’s coastal resilience research.