EAST RIVER PARK

THE METROPOLITAN NATURE/EAST RIVER PARK IS AN EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT, AND IT IS ALSO A THEORETICAL AND CRITICAL INVESTIGATION BASED ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF AN AREA BY DESIGNING A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN A METROPOLITAN CONTEXT TO REMEDY A SITUATION OF URBAN CONGESTION. THE PROJECT EXPLORES URBAN SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, THAT INTEGRATES ECONOMY, SOCIAL EQUITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THE TRANSFORMATION IS AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL: THE PROJECT SITE IS COMPLETELY RETHOUGHT, THE MODIFICATION PUT DEEP ROOTS AND WANTS TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THE IDENTITY OF THE SITE. FIRST OF ALL, THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON NEW YORK CITY, WHERE URBAN DEVELOPMENT HAS FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC CONCERNS RESULTING IN UNINTENDED AND CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES.

THE SITE WHERE THESE THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABILITY BORN, IS ROOSEVELT ISLAND, WHERE ALSO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY - WITH SOME SITE INSPECTIONS, TO INTERACT WITH ITS COMMUNITY AND TO SEE THE ACTUAL CONFORMATION OF THE ISLAND: THE PRESENT ASPECT AND THE LACK OF VEGETATION IS DUE ONLY TO HUMAN INTERVENTION. THE INITIAL IDEA WAS TO MAKE POSSIBLE THE EXPERIENCE OF NATURE IN WAYS PEOPLE DON’T TYPICALLY HAVE NOW ON THE ISLAND, AS I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING NATURE INTO ARCHITECTURE AND I THINK WE NEED TO CREATE MORE PUBLIC GREEN SPACES IN CITIES.

PUBLIC PARKS, ESPECIALLY IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS NEW YORK, ARE NECESSARY SANCTUARIES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS. YET THE PROBLEM MANY CITIES FACE IS A LACK OF SPACE TO CREATE THEM.

THE VISION FOR THE SITE IS A SUSTAINABLE PARK: THE EAST RIVER ECOLOGICAL PARK IS A 3.2 KM LONG SHOWCASE OF SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE IDEAS AND RESOURCES. ROOSEVELT ISLAND IS INSIDE A URBAN MECHANISM, WHICH HAS GONE THROUGH AN UNPREDICTABLE EVOLUTION. THIS PHENOMENON, WHICH EVOLVED IN TIME, BECAME THE STARTING POINT FOR THE DEFINITION OF A CONTINUOUS GREEN CORRIDOR AS THE MAIN ASSET OF THE SITE. THE ISLAND REDEVELOPMENT AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A GREEN LINE RUNNING THROUGH THE CORE OF THE SITE PRESENTS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE THE EXISTING BUILDINGS INTO A DEFINED NATURAL URBAN PARK, EXPRESSING THE CHARACTER OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND AS A GREEN OASIS OVER THE YEARS. THE OLD SITE VEGETATION AND ITS ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE HABITAT COULD BE PRESERVED, PROTECTED AND ENHANCED.

THE PLAN INCLUDES ALSO A SET OF DESIGN ELEMENTS: A NEW GREEN AVENUE, WALKWAYS, RESIDENTIAL SERVICES AREAS AND FACILITIES, CULTURAL AND GREEN AREAS FOR PUBLIC USE. THE NEW GREEN PLACES WILL NATURALLY BECOME SOCIAL EXCHANGE HUBS AND AREAS WHERE SERVICES CAN BE PROVIDED. AFTER THROUGHT THE ANALYSIS OF THE AREA I UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE THE COMMUNITY HAS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND I BASED THE PROPOSAL ON ENHANCING THIS THROUGH A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO URBAN DESIGN AND LANDSCAPE AS WELL AS RECOGNISING THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THE AREA. THE PARK WOULD BE A VIBRANT PLACE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY - ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AND VISITORS IN ACTIVITIES TO SHOW HOW NATURAL AND URBAN AREAS CAN CO-EXIST IN A POSITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WAY.