Newtown Creek Revitalization_Sunyoung Roh

NEWTOWN CREEK REVITALIZATION BROOKLYN & QUEENS, NYC

SUNYOUNG ROH Master’s Report The University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture

© 2014 Sunyoung Roh 2015

A Master’s Report Submitted to the Faculty of the COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE In partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2015 Spring

Acknowledgements

I would like to dedicate this master’s report to GOD and all of the wonderful family, friends, and mentors who have helped me become the person that I am today.

Committee members: Mark Frederickson, PhD [Associate Professor] – Chair Margaret Livingston, PhD [Professor] Beth Weinstein [Associate professor]

Abstract

Urban Waterfronts are desirable for many reasons and have become a focal point of development in cities. The Newtown Creek waterfront, which is located between Brooklyn and Queens, has high potential for industrial development as well as opportunities for mixed use and recreational activities to bring the surrounding neighborhood together.

Although industries in Newtown Creek are less active than in the past, the area is still heavily used by industries and can take advantage of being at the waterfront while still having water-dependent transportation. New York City has designated the site as a ‘Priority Marine Activity Zone’ and suggests supporting industrial and maritime activities within New York City’s Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP).

Due to serious contamination, including oil spills and dumping of raw sewage, Newtown Creek has become one of the most polluted industrial sites in the United States.

Newtown Creek is a designated Superfund site. The Newtown Creek Superfund essentially deals with the body of water itself, not the surrounding land. Another important issue about the site is the lack of public access points for the waterfront, which are difficult to find and can be unsafe for users.

This project explores sustainable waterfront development in Newtown Creek, focusing on a water purification strategy while enhancing economic and social values of the site.

Analyses include evaluation of efforts, needs, and issues of the local communities and organizations concerned with the site. The design is intended to connect neighborhoods to the waterfront, offering safe and pleasant public access, while allowing people to utilize the waterfront for opportunities.

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 CONTEXT Location, Site Boundary

HISTORY PRESENT ISSUES

Demographics and Neighborhood trends Business Context / Neighborhood Context Local Communities and Organization Health Condition of Newtown Creek

RESEARCH QUESTION GOALS

LITERATURE REVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

Strategies for New York Waterfront Development New York City’s Plan and Vision for Newtown Creek Successful Waterfront Park Workforce housing development Importance of Community-driven, Industrial Supportive Development Strategies of Workforce Housing

ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Flood Resilience Strategy Urban Waterfront Adaptive Strategies Design principles of water purification system through constructed wetland Green Infrastructure Small Pocket Park Strategy

CASE REVIEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN

Fostering Resilient Ecological Development [F.R.E.D.] Hunts Point Lifelines / Lafitte Greenway Master Plan

WETLANDS Shanghai Houtan Park / Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park

SMALL PARKS & GREEN STREETS Sponge park / Brooklyn Bridge Park

SITE ANALYSIS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 PHOTO INVENTORY REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS

Hydrology / Circulation / Land Use Open space / Building Condition Opportunities and Constraints

DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 REGIONAL MASTER PLAN NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

Site Plan Supporting Diagrams Building condition / Water system / Circulation / Program Perspectives Sections: Main Street, Water edges

CONCLUSIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 REFERENCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 WORK CITED IMAGE SOURCES

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

INTRODUCTION Context | History | Present issues | Research question | Goals

I saw a compatible vision of ‘Just green enough’ in the Newtown Creek site through first-hand observations during the site visit. ‘Just green enough’ means accomplishing environmental remediation without environmental gentrification. I could feel the presence of business while walking around the site, which was heavily used by industry. This makes one think about what could be the best way to solve problems of this site while keeping the character of the neighborhood at the same time.

The Newtown Creek Revitalization Project focuses on needs of the surrounding community and applies strategies which can solve several problems simultaneously.

Newtown Creek is surrounded by mostly industrial and commercial functions. Promoting workforce housing within this business context can be a sustainable and economical alternative to reduce long commutes for local workers. This development will improve surrounding infrastructure and open public spaces beside the waterfront to qualify as a healthy residential environment. At the same time, a workforce housing development program will control gentrification of the site with support of government policy.

This project is an expanded version of the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, which is the only existing spot where people can access and enjoy the creek. The new design demonstrates improvement of public access to the body of the water with various pedestrian-friendly paths, extended bike lane connections, and many bus routes. A new expanded water taxi system would offer convenient public transportation to Manhattan as well as places along the creek. Transforming abandoned lots into urban pocket parks along the Newtown Creek will offer a pleasant and restful space for local workers and visitors. People can enjoy pleasant walk or bike ride along the 3.5-mile path along Newtown Creek.

The details of Newtown Creek Hub show the implementation of the various storm water management systems. It contains rain gardens, porous pavement, green roofs, infiltration planters, and reuses water harvested from the site surfaces and buildings.

Constructed wetlands not only offer better quality of water, air, and habitat for wildlife, but also help educate people about how the ecosystems function and are able to sustain themselves. To minimize traffic congestion, a water based freight system would allow for less ground focused transportation thus allowing for greater pedestrian circulation on the ground plane.

2

Fig 1.01 US

Fig 1.02 NY

Fig 1.03 NYC

Newtown Creek

CONTEXT LOCATION Newtown Creek is part of the Hudson Estuary, flowing west for 3.5 miles between Queens and Brooklyn and emptying into the East River. The creek is comprised of small branches known as Dutch Kills, Maspeth Creek, Whale Creek, the East Branch, and English Kills. Located at the heart of New York City, Newtown Creek houses industries vital to the regional economy. This busy area sits largely hidden from the public eye at the edge of newly thriving communities at Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Long Island City.

It boasts a unique industrial past. With proximity to large urban markets and a mix of transportation infrastructure, Newtown Creek remains a valuable and competitive location for today’s urban industry.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

INTRODUCTION | CONTEXT

REGIONAL SITE BOUNDARY Newtown Creek extends into two boroughs and several distinct neighborhoods, and thus lies within the scope of many planning initiatives. For this project, the regional master plan takes the boundary of the “Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas (SMIA)� as a border to support a plan from the city. SMIA is an area designated to promote development of industrial and maritime activity from the Vision 2020 Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. It includes the Creek, its tributaries and surrounding land lots.

N

Fig 1.04 USGS US Topo 7.5-minute map for Brooklyn, NY 2013 (USGS, 2013) 4

Transportation infrastructure, urban development, and throughout Newtown Creek’s history.

FIGURE 8: A TIMELINE HISTORY: Time lineOFofNEWTOWN Newtown CREEK Creek

(Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report, 2012)

Industries on Newtown Creek, Separati ng Brooklyn and Queens, INDUSTRIES ON NEWTOWN CREEK, circa Late 1800’s. SEPARATING Source: Greater Astoria Historical Society BROOKLYN AND QUEENS, CIRCA LATE 1800’S.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Farm land Farm Land

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

business.

Penny Bridge

First crossing of English Kills located along the present Metropolitan Avenue.

1700’s 1812-14

Bliss surveys Green Point’s land

street grid

and lays to connect adjoining neighborhoods

replaces a previous wooden bridge crossing the creek at Meeker Avenue. This toll bridge is later replaced by the Kosciuszko Bridge in 1939.

1700’s

TRANSPORTATION

Penny Bridge

Neziah Bliss and Dr. Eliophlet Nott replaces a previous wooden bridge crossing the (Union College President), owners of “Novelty” - Landfilling of areas boat engines, purchase 30 acres of Green creek at Meeker Avenue. This toll1844 bridge isCreek laterand its tributaries along Newtown Point riverfront from John Meserole. They want initiated to create usable land. replaced by the Bridge in 1939. to build ships to support their Kosciuszko ship engine

Neziah Bliss lays street grid to connect adjoining

Ravenswood – Green Point – Hallett’s Cove Turnpike (roughly present day Franklin Street) is built.

1812-1814 1832

neighborhoods Main road for raw materials and goods to come in and out of Green Point.

1834

1840

1834 1839

1850

185

Bliss started a

TRANSPORTATION

Relatively shallow estuary with numerous fringing Relatively shallow estuary with marshes and side channels; natural numerous fringing marshes side streamanddraining uplands of Western Long channels; natural stream draining Island uplands of Western Long Island

reliable ferry service between

Green Point, E. 10th Street and E. 23rd Street. Since his foundry was across the river, as were many other suppliers and tradesmen needed.

Circa 1840 map.

Circa 1840 map

Flush opene Point

shipbuilding

INDUSTRY

Green Point industry grows.

INDUSTRY whale oil refining whale

Agricultural Use

established on the creek.

Agricultural use Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

20

Fir

oil refining

established on the creek.

State

Pratt "The

d industrial development are interconnected INTRODUCTION | HISTORY

urban development, and industrial development are interconnected history.

Brooklyn and Queens, Historical Society

Penny Bridge and people in a rowboat 1844Landfilling shing in Newtown Creek, 1860s. of areas alongin a rowboat PennyLandfilling Bridge and people and itsCreek, 1860s. Newtown shing inCreek Newtown Vernon Avenue eet grid tributaries initiated to Bridge over Newtown create usable land.

Creek (removed and Greenpoint replaced the Pulaski Vernonby Avenue Bridge Main road becomes annexed to Bridge), and a bridge Brooklyn. over Dutch Kills located Penny Bridge and people in a rowboat fishing 1839 1840 1850 1855 1860 1861 1867 1854 1880 1874 1876 in Newtown Creek, 1860s. on present day Borden Avenue.

Vernon over reliable ferry Avenue Bridge

Dr. Eliophlet Nott owners of “Novelty” acres of Green Meserole. They want eir ship engine

of areas 1844 along Newtown Creek and its tributaries initiated to create usable land.

Green Point’s land

to ining neighborhoods

Greenpoint becomes annexed to Brooklyn.

Ravenswood – Green Point – Hallett’s Cove Turnpike (roughly present day Franklin Street) is built.

over Newtown Creek (removed and replaced by the Pulaski Bridge), and a bridge over Dutch Kills located on present day Borden Avenue.

for raw materials and goods to come in and out of Green Point.

Bliss started a

1840

Flushing Railand Road replaced by Hunter’s Newtown Creek (removed the service between opened in Hunters Point Green Point,Bridge), E. 10th Pulaski and Kills Point.a bridge over Dutchbecomes Street and E. 23rd main located Street.

Sinceon hispresent day Borden Avenue.

Western foundry was across the Terminus river, as were many for LIRR. other suppliers and tradesmen needed.

1850

1860

1867

Transportation of Pennsylvania’s crude petroleum went from horses and wood barrels to

1876

pipelines and trains which enabled refineries to exist on Newtown Creek.

Refined oil is then

LIRR consolidated. All train companies (passanger and freight) on Long Island including the rail lines along Newtown Creek became one, LIRR.

1880

First record of the Creek bed

dredging for

maritime use.

LIRR transported via maritime Hunter’s Point vessels.

1855 1860 1861 1867 54 1876 1880 1874 consolidated becomes American First record of Civil War Green Point shipbuilding Transportation of . main Western More than 50 oil refineries Abraham Lincoln signs industry grows.

LIRR established in Newtown Area bed the Creek Creek Pennsylvania’s crude an order to construct Bliss started a Terminus consolidated. All petroleum went from horses the Monitor dredging for train companies hing Rail Road Hunter’s for LIRR. reliable ferry

by Continental and woodbuilt barrels to J.D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Iron Works at Calyer (passanger ed in Hunters Point buys Astral and Oil Works (Newtown maritime Creek). use.

Refined oil is and Westand Streettrains pipelines service between freight) on Long t. becomes (Brooklyn) in 101 days.

First record of the which enabled then refineries to transported Island including the main Green Point,First E. 10th Creek bed Kerosene refinery the Newtown United existinon Creek. Industrialist Charles Prattrail built lines the first along Western Located on Newtown Creek, owned by Charles via maritime Street and E.States.

23rd Refined oil is then oil refining Newtown modern oil refinery in the Creek dredging for Terminus Pratt. Astral Oil Works, famous for its slogan n the creek.

USA on the banks of the Newtown Creek. became one, LIRR. maritime use. for Street.

LIRR. "The holy lamps of Tibet are primed with Astral Oil."via vessels. transported maritime

American Civil War.

vessels.

SECTION CONDITIONS More than 3:50EXISTING oil refineries established in Newtown Creek More than 50 oil refineries established in Newtown Creek Area Area

Abraham Lincoln signs

an order to construct Green Point shipbuilding Monitor industry grows. the built by Continental

Iron Works at Calyer and West Street (Brooklyn) in 101 days.

rst Kerosene refinery in the United

es. Located on Newtown Creek, owned by Charles

t. Astral Oil Works, famous for its slogan holy lamps of Tibet are primed with Astral Oil."

Standard Oil

J.D. Rockefeller’s buys Astral Oil Works (Newtown Creek).

firstoil refinery was First modern modern oil refinery in the built in the USA on the banks of the USA on the banks of the Newtown Creek.

Newtown Creek.

Industrialist Charles Pratt built the

SECTION 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS

6

HISTORY: Time line of Newtown Creek

(Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report, 2012)

“The Head of Dutch Kills Offers Facilities”. Photo (1921) from district of New York City By Me “The Head of Dutch Kills Offers The Manufacturer Rail and Water “The Head ofCreek Dutch Kills Offers(1939).

Industrial Bureau” Facilities”. Photo (1921) from ”The Newtown industrial The Manufacturer Rail and Water Facilities.” district of New York City

By Merchants’ Associati on of New(1921) York.

Industrial Bureau” (1939).

Newtown Creek is a key industrial artery to New York City, more than 500 Williamsburg Bridge opens. New enterprises lining road connection to Manhattan for Newtown Creek industrial area.

Newtown Creek and its URBAN tributaries

DEVELOPMENT

Williamsburg Bridge opens. New road connection to Manhattan for Newtown Creek industrial area.

The

Newtown Creek is a key industrial artery to New York City, more than 500 enterprises lining Newtown Creek and its tributaries

1916 NYC Zoning Resolution designates industrial Newtown Creek area incompatible with residential uses.

1901 1903

KosciuszkoIndustrial bridge opens.use in

Newtown Creek began Newtown Creek is a key industri York City, more than 500 enterp to decline , with Newtown Creek a and its tributarie Industrial use in Newtown Creek shift to, with operations a shift to began to decline operations devoted more to materials 1916 devoted more to handling and less to manufacture or Resol refining. materials handling and indus Creek less with r

1911 1913 1940

1903-1910 1903 191 19501910 1953 1954 1 1901 1903 1910 1911 19331901 1939 Truck 1940 Transportation becomes Construction of East PRRMaritime electrification. widely used. Rail and PRR electrification.

Greenpoint Ferry's final journey of trains Modernization ofRiver trains Tunnels transportation get Modernization negatively affected T along Newtown Creek. along Newtown Creek. a Truck Transportation The B.Q.E. is by this development TRANSPORTATION p 1903-1910 – Construction of becomes widely used. Rail and 1903-1910 – Construction built.

Increased of LIRR is bought by Pennsylvania f Maritime transportation get Brooklyn and East RiverRailTunnels v Queens expressway Road (PRR). This resultednegatively affected by this developEast River Tunnels c ment.

LIRR is bought by Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR). This connections for the t “The busiest avenue of water traffic of not and in a vast network of LIRR is bought by Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR).

This industrial area. "the busiest avenue of water traffic of not greater b resulted and in a vast network of freight the world” with roughly 5 length roughly 5length millionin tons freight and passenger railin the world" withgreater "the b and passenger rail transportation from east Long Island resulted and in a vast network of freight per year shipped through its waters length (NY) to Ohio. million tons per year shipped through its transportation from east Long and passenger rail transportation from east Long Island per ye The Iwo Jima flag (NY) to Ohio. waters Island (NY) to Ohio. raising sculpture is Sherman Antitrust Act breaks up Standard Oil Trust into 7 sister companies. On Newtown Creek it becames Standard Oil Company of NY: SOCONY (Socony, merged with Vacuum – renamed Mobil, now part of ExxonMobil)

“Meeker avenue bridge” (1912).

INDUSTRY

cast in bronze at the Bedi-Rassy Foundry at 227 India Street.

Sherm Oil Tr Newto Tonnage handled in Newtown CreekComp with V peaked at 8.9 million short tons. Exxon Mobil Oil Spill in Newtown Creek

Meeker Avenue Bridge(1912)

The discovery of the Greenpoint “Meeker avenue bridge” (1912).

Typical industries present at Newtown Creek: Oil refineries, petrochemical plants, fertilizer and glue factories, coppersmelting and fatrendering plants, sugar refineries, shipbuilders, hide tanning plants, canneries, sawmills, paint works, lumber and coal yards

underground

R N

Oil spill

Typical industries present at Typical Newtown Creek: industries present at Newtown Creek: Oil refineries, petroc

Oil refineries, petrochemical plants, fertilizer and glue factories, coppersmelting and and glue factories, coppersmelting and fatrendering plants, sugar

hide tanning hide plants, canneries, sawmills, paint works, lumber and plants, sugar refineries, shipbuilders, tanning plants, canneries, SECTION 3: EXISTINGfatrendering CONDITIONS

sawmills, paint works, lumber and coal yards

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

SECTION 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS

INTRODUCTION | HISTORY

Completion of Newtown Creek October 16, 1955 the ďƒžnal run of L.I.R.R. steam.

Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and expansion . The Maspeth Keyspan demolishes Holders, two enormous gas tanks Nature Walk along creek constructed in 1927 and 1948 opens toNewtown the public Creek is kept on 303(d) list

Areas of Greenpoint begin a slow process of conversion from industrial to residential uses.

Newtown Creek

Wastewater Treatment Plant Wastewater Treatment Plant

1950 1950 1967 1974

constructed.

1960 1967 1974 Last maintenance dredging at Newtown Creek.

upgrade and expansion.

1992

2009

Nature Walk along creek opens to the

2010public

1978 1983 1992 2001 2004 2009 2010

Last

maintenance

dredging

The USACE- Navigability Report of at Newtown Findings: “approx. 15 pipelines, Creek.

15 submarine cables and 1 tunnel The Brooklyn cross Newtown Creek at various locations. These limit the future and Queens deepening of the Federal Project Channels in the area. is expressway

built.

refining of crude oil ended in

Receipt and Newtown Creek.

Completion of Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

constructed.

Newtown Creek

The narrow channel and maintenance problems limited foreign and coastwise vessel sizes, thus crude oil products had to be lightered to barges for transfer.

due to low DO from urban runoff and storm sewers in addition to CSOs.

New York City designates Newtown Creek a Significant Maritime

Coast Guard observes a plume of oil Tonnage handled in NewtowninTheNewtown Creek coming from the end of Meeker Avenue.

Creek peaked at 8.9 million

short tons.

The discovery of the Greenpoint underground Oil spill.

The designation of Newtown Creek as Federal

Industrial Area (SMIA) New York City Superfund site by US Department of designates Newtown The designation of Newtown Environmental Protection Laurel Hill Works of the Phelps Dodge CorporaCreek a Significant tion are permanently closed, part of a larger Creek as Federal Superfund trend of NYCIndustrial losing industry to Maritime Current use: cement lower cost regions. site by US Department plant, scrap yard,of distributer, Area (SMIA) Environmentalbeverage Protection construction supply company, ice manufacturer

Current use: cement plant,

scrap yard, beverage distributer, construction supply company, ice manufacturer

21 8

PRESENT ISSUES Demographics and Neighborhood Trends - Business Context The following analysis of demographic statistics is based on the “Newtown Creek Brown Field Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report.” The Business Context includes tracts 455, 579, 589, and 593 in Brooklyn, and tracts 179, 189, 191, 205.01, 219, 535, and 539 in Queens.

The neighborhoods context includes Greenpoint (tracts 499, 571, 573, 575 and 591) and East Williamsburg (tracts 453, 465, 473, 477, 481 and 483) in Brooklyn, and Hunters Point (tract 7) and Laurel Hill (tract 205.01) in Queens.

(Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Stepconcen2 Nomination The Business Context includes areas with Report, 2012)

trations of industry, while the Neighborhood Context includes adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Fig 1.05 THE BUSINESS CONTEXT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT BY CENSUS TRACT

Th neighb tion w Green 453, 4 Laurel De those “Regio positiv gion in • In • In Pa • In De and th the Ce demog the v

BUSI

De shrink typica els of tion. In nied b occurs Site boundary BOA Boundary

Business Context Neighborhood Context

11: THE Newtown Creek Revitalization |FIGURE Brooklyn & Queens, NYC BUSINESS CONTEXT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT

Popula Po Busine gion, a that th to offe

INTRODUCTION | PRESENT ISSUES

Population and Households: • Population size and the number of households are both decreasing.

• A smaller decrease in households rather than population, household sizes within the area are diminishing, while household sizes in both the City and the Region are increasing.

Educational Attainment: • In 2000, educational attainment in the Business Context was below average for New York City, however by 2005-2009, levels of educational attainment of Business Context residents approached those for the City overall.

Resident Employment: • Local employment shifts away from manufacturing and wholesale trades to the officebased professional services sectors.

• Arts, entertainment and recreation industry between 2000 and 2005-2009 increased 35%. Affordable live-work spaces and residents working in the sound stage businesses located nearby could be the reason.

Household Income: • Income among residents of the where Business context went up 12from $46,319 to the $49,953 in Brooklyn or Queens.

Another percent traveled from Bronx, ncome 2000 and 2005-2009, median household income among resiManhattan, or Staten Island. Roughly the same share commuted from Nasbetween 2000 and average of 2005-2009. sau or Suffolk counties on Long Island. Less than 2 percent of workers in all Business Context went up from $46,319 to $49,953. (Both Business Context Context businesses also lived in the Business Context in 2000; and resented in 2009 dollars.)Employees This represents aof 7.8 Business percent increase Where in the Business Live: considering the demographic trends identied in this section, it is unlikely e than the 1.7 percent increase in median household income • York, Most workers Business Context tothetheir outside the thatcompanies this number hascommute increased since 2000 jobs Censusfrom data collecti on. Given City. Greater New on the other hand,in saw a decrease of that many area workers commute from locations that don’t have efficient n median household income. Figure 16 summarizes the change Business Context. rail or subway access to the Business Context area, these people must rely incomes in the three areas. The strong growth in household

her supports the conclusion that Business Context residents who Fig 1.06since BUSINESS 1.07 NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS COMMUTING TO WORK IN THE to the neighborhood 2000 areCONTEXT more likelyRESIDENT to be employed Fig Queens supplies the greatest number of employees EMPLOYMENT, 2005-2009 ing office-based industries than2000 prior TO residents, who may have BUSINESS CONTEXT, BY HOME CENSUS TRACT, 2000. to Newtown Creek businesses. ed in the surrounding manufacturing and warehouse business-

oyees of Businesses in the Business Context Live e 17 shows, as of 2000 (the most recent year for which detailed ork data are available at the Census tract level) most workers ontext companies commuted to their jobs from outside the text, with the largest number (about 68 percent) living else-

people who work in the Business Context e.

Newtown Creek Business Context Number of Employees 0-10 11-20 21-50 51-100 More than 100

SIDENCE OF BUSINESS CONTEXT WORKERS, 2000

ce of residence

reek Business Context n Brooklyn n Queens

d

r County

olk Counties

#

%

826 10,201 21,408 2,132 2,211 1,002 1,473 656 112 5,303 1,072

1.8% 22.0% 46.1% 4.6% 4.8% 2.2% 3.2% 1.4% 0.2% 11.4% 2.3%

FIGURE 18: NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS COMMUTING TO WORK IN THE BUSINESS CONTEXT, BY HOME CENSUS TRACT, 2000.

SECTION 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS

10

PRESENT ISSUES

Demographics and Neighborhood Trends - Neighborhood Context

Densely residential neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods near the Business Context areas have been strongly connected to the activities occurring along Newtown Creek.

Brooklyn Census Track - Greenpoint and East Williamsburg • New York City’s 2005 rezoning generated a new residential development surge in Williamsburg.

• Significant increases in median household income during the historic period is evidence of gentrification.

• Greenpoint has relatively indirect access to Manhattan via public transportation. This area saw the largest population decrease of all Neighborhood Context areas.

• East Williamsburg is the only area experiencing growth in population and number of households. Household size remained relatively stable, although median household incomes grew faster than other sub-area neighborhoods.

Queens Census Track - Hunters Point and Laurel Hill • Hunters Point is one of the City’s fastest growing communities in terms of population growth.

• There has been an increase in the actual number of occupied housing units and a trend towards smaller household sizes.

• With the best transit access of the four neighborhoods, and its good connection to Manhattan, Hunters Point has the highest median household income.

• - Laurel Hill is experiencing reverse gentrification. It has the lowest population with decreases in population and number of households.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

INTRODUCTION | PRESENT ISSUES

Cross-Cutting Issues • Demands for additional park space are common to every neighborhood around the project site.

• Concern about the impact of amendments to the New York City Loft Law. In June 2010, the New York State Legislature amended the New York City Loft Law to make it easier for residential tenants living in industrial spaces.

Data for Brooklyn neighborhoods reflects an influx of younger people who seek proximity to Manhattan.

Fig 1.08 BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOODS DATA, 200 TO 2005-2009(avg.)

HOUSEHOLD CHANGE

POPULATION CHANGE 2000

2005-2009(avg.)

30000

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME CHANGE 2000

2005-2009(avg.)

12000 2000

2005-2009(avg.)

2000

2005-2009(avg.)

25000 30000

10000 12000

50000 60000

20000 25000

8000 10000

40000 50000

15000 20000

6000 8000

30000 40000

10000 15000

4000 6000

20000 30000

5000 10000

2000 4000

10000 20000

50000

Greenpoint

East Williamsburg

0

20000

2000

2005-2009(avg.)

2000

2005-2009(avg.)

60000

Greenpoint

East Williamsburg

0

100000

Greenpoint

East Williamsburg

0

Data forGreenpoint QueensEastneighborhoods reflects Greenpoint divergent in Williamsburg Hunters Williamsburg East trends: Williamsburg residential expansion Greenpoint East Point and industrial expansion in Laurel Hill.

Fig 1.09 QUEENS NEIGHBORHOODS DATA, 200 TO 2005-2009(avg.)

2000

POPULATION CHANGE

2005-2009(avg.)

4500 4000

2000

2005-2009(avg.)

3000 2000

2000

2005-2009(avg.)

2000 1000

Hunters Point

Hunters Point

Laurel Hill

Laurel Hill

5000

0

60000 70000

2000

2005-2009(avg.)

40000 50000 30000 40000 20000 30000

1000 500

1500 500

2005-2009(avg.)

50000 60000

1500 1000

2500 1500

2000

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME CHANGE 70000

2000 1500

3500 2500

0

2005-2009(avg.)

2500 2000

4000 3000

500

2000

2500

4500 3500

1000 0

HOUSEHOLD CHANGE

10000 20000 Hunters Point

Hunters Point

Laurel Hill

Laurel Hill

0 10000 0

Hunters Point

Laurel Hill

Hunters Point

Laurel Hill

12

PRESENT ISSUES Health Condition of Newtown Creek and the Surrounding Land • • • •

• • •

•

Swimming and other full-body immersion recreation (for example, SCUBA diving) in Newtown Creek could harm people’s health.

Physical and biological hazards for swimmers The greatest exposure to biological hazards is by swallowing water.

Waterfront uses of Newtown Creek are supported by waterborne transportation. This represents physical safety concerns related to swimming and other water recreation type activities, and includes large commercial boat traffic, and in some places, high bulkheads.

Failure to meet bacterial standards can be attributed to combined sewage overflows and urban runoff after rainfall events.

When swimming, human exposure to chemical hazards in the surface water is also possible.

Recreational boating (for example, canoeing, kayaking, and touring) or “catch and release” fishing in Newtown Creek is not expected to harm people’s health.

Eating fish and crabs taken from Newtown Creek could harm people’s health by increasing their risk for adverse health effects.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

INTRODUCTION | PRESENT ISSUES

INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL STORAGE BROWNFIELD

SEWAGE OVERFLOW INDUSTRIAL TRASH

CONTAMINATED WATER INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL DUMPING 14

PRESENT ISSUES LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND PROJECT •

•

•

•

•

•

•

Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA): A community-based organization dedicated to restoring, revealing and revitalizing Newtown Creek.

NCA Alliance represents the interests of community residents and local businesses who are dedicated to restoring community health, water quality, habitat, access, and vibrant water-dependent commerce along Newtown Creek.

The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (Public Lab) : A community which develops and applies open-source tools to environmental exploration and investigation.

Green Shores NYC: Green Shores NYC is an all-volunteer not-forprofit organization. They work to ensure a greener, cleaner, more connected and accessible East River Waterfront in Queens, New York.

The Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning (GWAPP): Proposal for a Greenpoint boathouse and environmental education center.

Newtown Creek Armada: An art installation that invites the public to explore the past, present and future of a contaminated New York City waterway.

North Brooklyn Boat Club: The North Brooklyn Boat Club is dedicated to enabling and advocating for human-powered boating on the waterways bordering Greenpoint/Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Brownfield Opportunity Area Project (BOA): This communitybased planning effort focuses on putting brownfield sites on Newtown Creek back to productive use and bringing quality industrial jobs to the area. Where key sites are currently underutilized, the intent is to maximize their economic potential so that this former industrial economic powerhouse can once again energize the local and regional economy. This project is sponsored by the BOA Partners, a partnership of three non-profit groups: the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC), Riverkeeper, and Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA).

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

INTRODUCTION | PRESENT ISSUES

NEWTOWN CREEK BrownямБeld Opportunity Area

STEP 2 NOMINATION REPORT

Fig 1.10 logos of local communities 16

RESEARCH QUESTION + GOALS

How can I create a multifunctional hub with increased access and offer ecosystem protection to the Newtown Creek waterfront?

More specifically, what strategies are the most appropriate for this outcome?

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

INTRODUCTION | RESEARCH QUESTION + GOALS

• Suggest a multi-functional hub at Newtown Creek not only to support maritime operation but to also integrate commercial, recreational, and educational uses by encouraging the adaptive reuse of buildings.

• Identify and create accessible routes linking local communities to the Newtown Creek Waterfront.

• Protect and enhance the quality and function of ecological systems and improve water quality.

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW

INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

Strategies for New York waterfront development New York City’s plan and vision for Newtown Creek Successful Waterfront Park

Workforce housing development -Importance of community-driven, industrial supportive development -Strategies for Workforce housing

ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Flood resilience strategy Urban waterfront adaptive strategies Wetland system

Green infrastructure Small pocket park strategy

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR NEW YORK WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT New York City’s Plan and Vision for Newtown Creek

New York City’s Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP) was originally created in 1892, updated in 2002, and revised in 2013 based on Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The main goal of WRP is to encourage suitable activities for various waterfront locations as the city’s principal Coastal Zone management tool. The Coastal Zone Boundary includes all land and water that has impact on coastal waters.

Here are the ten policies which become a guide for development and use of the waterfront (NYC Planning, 2013):

(LEFT) Fig 2.01 Costal Zone Boundary (NYC

Planning, 2013)

1. Support and facilitate commercial and residential redevelopment in areas well-suited to such development; 2. Support water-dependent and industrial uses in new York city coastal areas that are well-suited to their continued operation; 3. Promote use of New York City’s waterways for commercial and recreational boating and water-dependent transportation; 4. Protect and restore the quality and function of ecological systems within the New York City coastal area; 5. Protect and improve water quality in the New York City coastal area; 6. Minimize loss of life, structures, infrastructure, and natural resources caused by flooding and erosion, and increase resilience to future conditions created by climate change; 7. Minimize environmental degradation and negative impacts on public health from solid waste, toxic pollutants, hazardous materials, and industrial materials that may pose risks to the environment and public health and safety; 8. Provide public access to, from, and along New York City’s coastal waters; 22

9. Protect scenic resources that contribute to the visual quality of the New York City coastal area; and 10. Protect, preserve, and enhance resources significant to the historical, archaeological, architectural, and cultural legacy of the New York City coastal area.

These policies offer common goals relevant to Newtown Creek’s site specific opportunities and constraints. Following WRP, the Newtown Creek area has been designated as a Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas (SMIA) and Priority Marine Activity Zone (PMAZ) from five types of special area designations. PMAZs are “areas with a concentration of water-dependent activity or sites that are key nodes in the waterborne transportation network, and which have the infrastructure to support these uses” (NYC Planning, 2013).

These are the characteristics of SMIAs: •

• • • • • •

Include concentrations of M2 and M3 zoned land (M2: Moderate Density Manufacturing, M3: Moderate Density Manufacturing, Commercial); Suitable hydrographic conditions for maritime-related uses; Presence of or potential for intermodal transportation, marine terminal and pier infrastructure; Concentrations of water-dependent and industrial activity; Relatively good transportation access and proximity to markets; and Relatively few residents Availability of publicly owned land (NYC Planning, 2013).

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

The most important goal of the WRP for sites within SMIAs is promoting industrial and maritime activity. All projects have to be reviewed for compliance with all relevant policies, especially for projects that lie within SMIA’s boundary, like the Newtown Creek Revitalization Project, which has high priority in policy 2.1 (NYC Planning, 2013). Within policy 2.1, promoting water-dependent and industrial uses in Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas, the following goals apply to this master’s report: a. Maritime and industrial uses, contributing to a healthy business environment through enabling the adaptive reuse of buildings, and improvements to upland infrastructure. b. Develop multi-functional hubs which contain features to support maritime operation and have commercial, recreational, tourist and educational uses within the same complex. c. Explore opportunities for bioremediation. d. Improve transportation access. e. Promote operation of working waterfront uses in a manner that protects surrounding communities, businesses and local workers, and natural resources.

According to WRP, “In reviewing proposed projects within SMIAs, consideration should be given to suitable hydrologic and site conditions; presence and condition of waterfront infrastructure; appropriate zoning; proximity and access to rail and truck transportation routes; suitable access to markets, customers 24

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Fig 2.02 Priority Marine Activity Zones Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

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LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

Additional policies guide this project to enhance ecological value of the site and consider the site’s (Newtown Creek) specific condition: 4.5 Protect and restore tidal and freshwater wetlands; 5.1 Manage direct or indirect discharges to waterbodies; 5.5 Protect and improve water quality through cost-effective grey-infrastructure and in-water ecological strategies; 6.1 Minimize losses from flooding and erosion by employing non-structural and structural management measures appropriate to the site, the use of the property to be protected, and the surrounding area (NYC Planning, 2013).

and delivery networks; adequate and appropriate buffering from surrounding residents; existing development patterns; sustainable stormwater management strategies; ecologically beneficial edge design; industrial pollution prevention; and other best practices for sustainable development�

(NYC Planning, 2013).

26

STRATEGIES FOR NEW YORK WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT Successful Waterfront Park

(RIGHT TOP) Fig 2.03 Brooklyn Bridge Park (Brooklyn Bridge Park, 2008)

Urban Waterfronts ‘83 edited by Ann Breen and Dick Rigby, summarizes discussions of the Urban Waterfronts Conference held in Washington, D.C. Through discussion with recreation planners, citizen activists and engineers, key points for successful urban waterfront parks focus on how integration of programming, involvement of institution, and the final design help serve the communities.

Several panel discussions talked about what makes a successful waterfront park. Harriet Saperstein, Maurice Freedman, Michael Westgate, and Ann Vick point out three categories that should be considered for successful waterfront park design.

First, designers should investigate identity and uniqueness of the place itself and its setting. Individual parks need to be concerned with regional attitudes.

Subsequently, one park does not need to provide for all the needs of neighborhood at one time; it could serve a balanced variety of activities over time and within a region.

Second, users are one of the best sources for ideas on specific programming. One of the authors, Maurice Freedman, said, “The facilities it provides and activities it encourages should be woven into the fabric of the existing community and should lend Minimizing auto use within a wellthemselves to adaptation by suited public transportation system will the community as it is likely allow people to enjoy the waterfront to evolve” (Breen & Rigby, park at a human scale on foot, by boat, 1984). bike and bus (Breen & Rigby, 1984).

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

Lastly, extensive programming from small-scale individual activities to large-scale group activities is a key principle. Having educational components in a manner of linked activities from existing institutions can make parks active and effective. The authors strongly suggest working with school groups in a program development process. Saperstein emphasizes the importance of stimulating economic development in the surrounding waterfront park, providing successful examples of revenues from kiosks and restaurants on the property.

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WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Importance of Community-Driven, Industrial Supportive Development

(RIGHT) Newtown Creek Nature Walk

Winifred Curran and Trina Hamilton (2012) suggest that many recent sustainable developments became epicenters of gentrification. These developments cannot maintain industrial uses or local workers within the site because of the significant alteration. The authors describe the potential for sustainable development without environmental gentrification, illustrating the ‘Newtown Creek Nature Walk’ as an example of environmental remediation as a solution for industrial sites. Emphasis should be placed on the value of industrial uses based on how many jobs are created by these industries. They suggest a new strategy, called “just green enough” which helps enforce environmental strategies for industrial lands (Curran & Hamilton, 2012).

The authors describe this new vision with actions from activists in Greenpoint. “They refused to accept their own displacement as an inevitable outcome of the real estate “The alternative vision for urban market of New York City” sustainability constructed in Greenpoint is (Curran & Hamilton, 2012). one we understand as “just clean enough” Instead, they made their in which as much of the environmental hazard as possible is removed in order own alliances to push new to assure community health while still vision about cleaning the allowing for industrial uses on the environment as much as waterfront for the explicit purpose of possible at the same time maintaining the area’s working-class emphasizing the importance population” (Curran & Hamilton, 2012). of the keeping industrial

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

business close to neighborhoods and the city (Curran & Hamilton, 2012). Their vision of ‘green’ as not only the way to make something attractive, focuses on gree values as a way to improve the environment for the people who suffered from the contamination of their natural environment. Also they brought up the importance of the state intervention as the major way to facilitate their alternative vision.

Through the Greenpoint case, we should realize and act carefully about the direction of the new development for industrial sites. Many post industrial sites have become areas of concern all over the United States, people at Greenpoint emphasize that we should not forget what industrial sites offer back to the masses. By implementation of Newtown Creek Revitalization, we would start to see this new trend of the environmental remediation help combat overall gentrification. This in turn would become a strategy that is ‘just green enough’.

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WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Strategies of workforce housing

(RIGHT) Fig 2.04 Eddy & Taylor Family Housing (DBA, 2015)

What’s workforce housing?

When we use the term, workforce housing, it has to have four major factors; Workforce, Affordability, Proximity, Quality and supply of neighborhoods (Haughey, 2002). The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has viewed households who have income between 60-120% of area median income (AMI) as the workforce housing market.

Households that are earning less than 60% of AMI often are eligible for federal support which can referred as low income or affordable housing.

At the ULI Land Use Policy Forum, four small groups of experts including variety group of professionals, was charged with answering one of the following four questions relating to a major barrier to the development of workforce housing: (Haughey, 2002) 1. How can site-related barriers to workforce housing be overcome?

2. What financing incentives could be provided to make the construction of workforce housing feasible, and how can affordability be retained over time?

3. How could the regulatory process be improved, and what regulatory incentives could be offered to encourage the development of workforce housing?

4. How could the design According to American Housing Survey and projection of (AHS) data, whether seeking to rent or to housing be changed buy, in areas facing an identified shortage to encourage the of workforce housing, such units as can be development of found in close proximity to workplaces are workforce housing?

often of poor quality.� (Huduser.org, 2015)

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

“Out of Reach 2010 shows that even with the recent increases to the federal minimum wage and a weak housing market, households still need to work over 40 hours a week or hold down multiple jobs to be assured of being able to afford a modest rental home; a task made harder in the recession.” (DeCrappeo, 2010)

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BARRIERS vs SOLUTIONS SITE-RELATED • • • • • •

• • •

High land costs.

Deteriorated infrastructure.

Environmental challenges.

Lack of information about available sites.

Mismatch between sites and where people want to live.

Lack of understanding about this market segment’s location preferences.

Parking costs.

Construction costs.

Inadequate existing building stock.

•

Assemble and provide land in low-value/low-demand areas.

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Make targeted areas more attractive by improving physical infrastructure, safety, schools, supportive retail and mixed uses, and parks and open space.

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Inventory existing sites—including information on assets, liens, ownership, and contamination—and market these sites for development.

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Conduct market studies on workforce housing demand prior to designing public programs.

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Leverage public lands.

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Improve the visibility of existing programs.

•

Use tax increment financing (TIF) for infrastructure

FINANCING • • • • •

High development costs.

Limited government funding.

Down payment requirements.

Restrictive underwriting criteria.

No Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)

improvements and other site improvements.

•

Create an infrastructure finance district (IFD) to finance infrastructure improvements.

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Increase or dedicate transfer/recordation taxes to pay for a housing trust fund.

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Expand tax credits for first-time homebuyers and offer loans to cover down payments.

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Expand employer-assisted housing programs.

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Provide more flexibility in government housing programs to address a broader range of incomes.

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Build into the entitlement process financial devices that reward developers for providing workforce housing.

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Encourage the broader use of TIF for public parking garages and other public infrastructure improvements.

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Investigate the effectiveness of location-efficient mortgages.

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Assess a consumer goods tax that would be dedicated to the production of moderate-income housing.

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Offer property tax abatements for the construction of new workforce housing and freeze taxes for existing residents.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT

BARRIERS vs SOLUTIONS CONSTRUCTION • • • • • • • •

Exclusionary zoning.

The building permit process.

The rezoning or variance process.

Building codes.

Lack of regulatory and program coordination.

Lack of political leadership.

Community opposition.

No advocacy group.

•

Adopt inclusionary zoning regulations.

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Expedite the permit process.

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Improve coordination.

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Create interdepartmental development review committees.

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Modify the public approval process.

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Allow existing commercial properties to be redeveloped as workforce housing.

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Provide incentives for the development of workforce housing.

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Require housing/jobs linkages.

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Expand government condemnation powers.

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Use the powers of annexation and rezoning.

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Link workforce housing requirements to commercial development.

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Use green building principles.

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Tie workforce housing to public projects.

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Address community concerns.

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Build a coalition.

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Support the development of “mansion”-type multifamily

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION • • • • •

House sizes.

Consumer expectations.

Design and zoning regulation.

Community opposition.

Few housing renovators.

housing.

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Investigate the effectiveness of manufactured and modular housing.

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Support regulations that encourage the rehabilitation of existing housing.

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Strengthen the home rehabilitation industry.

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Encourage nonprofit groups to acquire and convert expiring-use public housing properties to mixed-income communities.

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Allow accessory units in all residential areas.

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Discourage the construction of larger houses by tying building permit fees to unit size.

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Educate homebuyers about the virtues of smaller, more compact housing.

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ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION FLOOD RESILIENCE STRATEGY

Urban Waterfront Adaptive Strategies

Here is a list of various potential strategies to adapt waterfront areas to become more resilient even though there is an increase in the frequency of costal hazards.

Some of the strategies to help prevent these hazards are stabilizing land against erosion and daily tide levels, reducing wave forces, blocking the flooding of upland neighborhoods, and removing development from vulnerable areas. An important challenge is determining which strategies should be pursued and the implications that follow. The New York City Planning Department narrowed down various urban waterfront adaptive strategies in consideration of the given geography through a laid out framework. (NYC Planning, 2013)

“Creating a more resilient city is a long-term, ongoing process of assessing risks, developing and evaluating alternatives, and implementing flexible and adaptive strategies.� (NYC Planning, 2013)

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Fig 2.05 Inventory of Adaptive Strategies

36

The New York City Planning Department’s coastal geomorphology study shows analysis of geologic landforms, shoreline condition, and exposure to wave force to determine the most feasible strategies for each type of coastal geomorphology condition.

The land surrounding Newtown Creek is categorized as Post Glacial Deposits and Landfill with the lowest elevation and gradual slopes. The lowest areas are generally more vulnerable to surge and gradual sea level rise (NYC Planning, 2013). Most of the shoreline of the creek has been reinforced with bulkhead and the rest of the areas are rip-rap to control erosion. Since the creek is not exposed to the open ocean, the creek would not be affected by wave force.

Fig 2.06 GEOLOGIC LANDFORMS

Fig 2.07 SHORELINE CONDITION

“New York City’s 520 miles of waterfront are incredibly diverse. Each of these areas face specific types and levels of risks, and therefore require different strategies” (NYC Planning, 2013).

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Based on the mapping of geologic landforms, shoreline conditions, and wave exposure, the Newtown Creek area is designated as Hardened Sheltered Bay Plains among nine geomorphology types. “Flood elevations for today’s 1 percent annual chance storm and a potential future flood elevation due to level rise are shown, along with current and future high tides”(NYC Planning, 2013).

Fig 2.08 Hardened Sheltered Bay Plains / Industrial

38

The NYC Planning 2013 states that there are many applicable strategies that work for waterfront hazard control. Six applicable strategies have been taken to suit Newtown Creek waterfront conditions for remediating hazards.

1. STRATEGIC RETREAT Strategic retreat is most suitable on a large scale for areas most exposed to storm surge and wave forces, as part of an overall plan.

2. WATERFRONT PARKS The improvement or creation of a waterfront park to serve as a flood buffer is suitable for nearly any geomorphology, though it requires the presence of a substantial amount of open space.

3. LEVEES (OR DIKES) Levees are less suitable for oceanfronts where wave forces typically require a seawall. They are more suitable for low-lying areas that could require high elevation structures to protect from storm surge.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Fig 2.09 Strategic retreat is the process of removing development from areas vulnerable to flooding and the prevention of future development.

Fig 2.10 Waterfront parks are open spaces designed with landscape features such as floodable areas, elevated land masses and other adaptive park design features that can quickly recover following storm events and help protect upland areas from coastal flooding.

Fig 2.11 Levees (also called dikes) are earthen embankments located at the shoreline that provide protection from flooding.

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4. MULTI-PURPOSE LEVEES Like levees, multi-purpose levees are less suitable for ocean fronts where wave forces typically require a seawall. They are more suitable for low-lying areas which require high elevation to protect from storm surge.

5. SEAWALLS Seawalls are most suitable for areas highly vulnerable to storm surge and wave forces. They may disrupt sediment transport and lead to the erosion of beaches.

6. LIVING SHORELINES Living shorelines are suitable for most types of areas except high wave energy environments where wave action and fast currents are typically too strong.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Fig 2.12 Multi-purpose levees are levees that combine other functions, such as transit, highways, buildings, or parks, either on top or within a levee structure.

Fig 2.13 Seawalls are massive stone, rock or concrete structures built parallel to the shoreline that are designed to resist the forces of heavy storm waves and prevent coastal flooding of upland areas.

Fig 2.14 Living shorelines are a bank stabilization technique that use plants, sand/soil, and limited use of hard structures to provide shoreline protection and maintain valuable habitat.

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

FLOOD RESILIENCE STRATEGY Wetland System

The interagency Workgroup, comprised of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service, developed an introduction and a guide to wetland restoration, creation and enhancement for the public. The following criteria is in-depth look at flood resilience strategies for wetland systems.

(LEFT) Fig 2.15 Wetland (Wetland Restoration & Training LLC, 2015)

What are Wetlands?

Wetlands are unique ecosystems that often occur at the edge of aquatic (water, fresh to salty) or terrestrial (upland) systems. In addition to bogs and swamps, wetlands include tidal marshes, prairie potholes, seagrass beds, forested wetlands, and seasonally ponded sites, such as vernal pools.

Some of these wetland types, such as seasonal wetlands, are dry much of the year, and may not always appear to be wetlands. The National Research Council’s 1995 report entitled “Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries” lists several major classes of U.S. wetlands and some plants associated with each: “A primary goal of • Freshwater Marsh—grasses, sedges, wetland projects is to reherbs; establish natural ecological • Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh—salt tolerant grasses, rushes; processes. Created treatment • Prairie Potholes—grasses, sedges, wetlands can control herbs; the increased runoff and • Fens—sedges, grasses, shrubs; pollutants generated by • Bogs—sphagnum moss, shrubs, trees; development in watersheds” • Swamp Bottomland—cypress, gum, (National Oceanic and Atmospheric red maple; and Administration, Environmental • Mangrove Forest—black, red, white Protection Agency, 2003).

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mangroves.

The importance of Wetlands These benefits or functions are usually linked to goods and services which are important to society. Some of the benefits wetlands provide include: • A 1991 study by James R. Chambers determined that approximately 75 percent (by weight) of commercially harvested fish and shellfish are dependent on estuaries and their wetlands.

• Support for birds and other wildlife. The freshwater wetlands in the prairie pothole region of North America support an estimated 50 to 80 percent of the continental waterfowl production each year.

• High biological productivity. Many wetlands are highly productive ecosystems in large part because they are rich in organic matter and nutrients.

• Biodiversity protection. Wetlands support a great diversity of species and many of the species are unique and rare.

• Erosion control. By dissipating wave energy and stabilizing shorelines, wetland vegetation buffers the adjacent upland from wave action and intensive erosion.

• Flood damage reduction. Wetlands intercept runoff and store stormwater, thereby changing rapid and high peak flows to slower and smaller discharges over longer periods of time.

• Good water quality. Wetlands are known for their ability to capture sediments and filter pollutants, which improves water quality.

• Aesthetics and recreation. Many recreational activities take place in and around wetlands. Hunting and fishing are popular activities associated with wetlands. Other recreational activities in wetlands include hiking, nature observation and photography, canoeing, and other boating activities.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Many people simply enjoy the beauty and sounds of nature and spend their leisure time near wetlands observing plant and animal life. Wetlands are also important places for outdoor study and for gaining an appreciation of natural history and ecology.

Using adaptive management means one continuously can evaluate a project in light of new information, generating ideas and making decisions about how to further refine the project. This process also can be thought of as a “feedback loop� in which information about what is happening with a project currently helps one determine how best to go forward with the next step of a project.

A wetland is an ecosystem that evolves and changes in response to the surrounding environment. It is not realistic to expect that when the implementation stage is complete, the work is done. Long-term management is often required to keep the site functioning as it was designed to function and to keep human impacts to a minimum. For example, long-term management is often needed to maintain existing structures such as berms, water control structures, or levees; maintain a specific desirable plant community by burning, mowing, or otherwise managing the vegetation on a periodic basis; address problems such as invasive species or excessive sediment deposition; or address unexpected events such as structural failure.

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Approaches to Improving Water Quality: If contaminants are found in the water at the restoration site, check uses and inputs upstream or adjacent to the site for sewer outflows, other outfall pipes, ditches draining industrial or agricultural areas, landfills, or areas where junk and trash has been illegally dumped.

(LEFT) Fig. 2.16 Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park (Turenscape.com, 2007)

If one finds a potential source of pollution, one should contact local authorities for help to determine whether it is the source of the contaminants and whether it can be cleaned up. Never attempt a clean-up yourself unless you know exactly what you are removing and you own the property or have the owner’s permission.

If a site contains contaminants in amounts that are toxic to wildlife or humans, have the toxic materials removed or remediated by professionals.

If the source of the pollution can’t be removed, lessen its impact by: •

•

•

•

Implement “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff from developed areas adjacent to the site.

BMPs include activities such as labelling storm drains, installing settling basins, etc.

Plant vegetated upland buffers to reduce the amount of contaminants, excess nutrients, or sediment coming into your site from adjacent or upstream areas. Select plant species that can tolerate existing conditions.

Route the water through pools or other structures constructed to allow excess nutrients, sediments, or contaminants to settle out or become absorbed or converted to a less harmful form by natural processes.

Educate neighbors about pollutant effects on wetlands and ask them to reduce their use of fertilizers and pesticides.

48

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Small pocket park strategy

Ann Forsyth, Laura Musacchio, and Frank Fitzgerald point out the importance of the multiple roles of parks as part of public space and ecological networks. Within this understanding of pros and cons of small parks in urban settings, they suggest specific design and maintenance guidelines through 12 key components of park planning and design process. Small parks are defined as less than 5-6 acres (2-2.4 hectares) or one block (or smaller) of public green space in an urban area.

Designing small parks starts by acknowledging limitations Fig 2.18 Parks of several different sizes create a network of green and benefit. Because of their spaces. The ecological and social value of a small park increases if size, there are certain limitations it is part of a well-connected openspace system. on the number of activities and wildlife species they can accommodate. There are three principles that can help designers develop strategies for small park design: “area effect” (bigger areas are generally better), “edge effects” (less fragmented areas Fig 2.17 Large patches have a are generally better), and “distance effects” (close greater amount of interior habitat (area patches are better) (Soule 1991, 319). In order to apply shaded in black) than medium and small these principles, small parks have less habitat, and the sized patches. Based on drawing from Peck vegetation attracts mostly generalist species. To increase (1998,71) and Soule (1991,314) social and, especially ecological, value of the small park, it should be built up within a well-connected and broad open space system. In this way, small parks do not need to accommodate all Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Fig 2.19 Small parks can have different levels of connection to other parks and open space

A single park may have no connections to other green spaces.

Parks may take up a large amount of area but still have a lack of connections to the parks.

Several small parks may be visually aligned with and connected to a larger park.

Parks may be connected by a thin corridor such as tree-lined streets, which enhance connectivity.

Parks may be connected by a wide corridor such as a greenway, which is the highest level of habitat connectivity of the five schemes illustrated.

50

activities and it can be used as stepping stones in terms of habitat for wildlife. To locate and design the small park within a large open-space system, understanding the origin of small parks is important (Forsyth, Musacchio, & Fitzgerald, 2005).

Deciding the level of the naturalness of small parks takes an important role in not just the difference in appearance (types of aesthetics) but also in the balance between public safety and habitat quality. Having more open canopy vegetation which will maximize the view within circulation routes generally makes people feel much safer. In addition, it is important to educate people about contradicting needs between ecological function of the urban landscape and creating safe space (Forsyth, Musacchio, & Fitzgerald, 2005). Having an education component, like signage, helps people understand the intention of the vegetation types Fig 2.20 A. Canopy trees with no understory allow views to surrounding areas and changes. and keep hiding places to a minimum. B. New Town Creek, especially the along Canopy trees with low understory, away form the path, allow visitors to scan the the body of water towards the inland, has entire park and will provide some habitat value. C. While good for habitat, densely planted areas around heavily used paths many vacant lots which could be transformed create many areas for concealment. into small parks and extend larger open space systems along the creek. To maximize the benefits from creating small parks within a well-organized and larger open-space system, Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

Fig 2.21 This diagram represents the gradient of vegetation types that can be found in an park.

1. Canopy trees can provide shade and frame view in a park, but the absence of an understory decreases their habitat value.

2. Having layers of vegetation types provides habitat value, but they ma raise safety concerns in small parks.

3. Low-growing shrubs and flowers are ideal in small parks, as they help maintain sight lines while still adding color and texture, but the limited vertical structure is inadequate for many urban wildlife species.

Fig 2.22 In one view, the ideal width of a corridor for improving air quality is 490.5 feet(150 meters) (Smith 1976, 297-298), although others see it as context dependent. Ideally, to improve air quality, a mix of deciduous and coniferous vegetation is present within the corridor.

Fig 2.23 For stream protection, Schuler (1995,11) states that a minimum width of 100 feet (30.5 meters) be used as a buffer along stream edges. However, it is important that the entire floodplain occurs within the greenway, so the ideal width of the corridor will vary with the situation.

Fig 2.24 Corridor width depends on the needs of different species,. In general, wider corridor have greater benefits than narrow ones (Lindenmayer and Franklin 2002, 113-114). Based on a study by Budd et al. (1987), Adams and Dove (1989,29) recommend a minimum width of 100 feet (30.5m).

However, Schueler text of the area in terms of vegetation and the needs of specific wildlife likely to be present in urban areas.

52

careful site selection is needed for small parks and greenways should emphasize connections.

Because of the limitations of the small size of vacant lots, the right location of small parks within a large open-space system is the most important. Locating small parks along the creek at the intersection of the public transportation stops plays a pivotal role in the larger context of green open space systems, allowing for maximum access to parks.

Specific guidelines apply to small pocket park designs along the New Town Creek: • Have 80-90% pervious surface to minimize the runoff.

• Gradient of types of trees from the edge of the park to inside as open canopy to more complex in species composition and abundance.

• Provide less-public places for wildlife, maintain deadwood, snags and undergrowth at the site.

• Have thick vegetation to buffer activity areas from the polluted Main Street.

• Provide education signage to demonstrate how beauty and ecological function can be used as a communication tool for park management and maintenance.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

LITERATURE REVIEW | ENVIRONMENTAL REVITALIZATION

38% evapotranspiration

20% runoff

42% infiltration Fig 2.25 The above diagram illustrates the fate of rainfall on a small park that is 80%90% green(10%-20% impervious). Limiting the amount of impervious surfaces helps to minimize the amount of runoff. Numbers adapted from federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (or FISRWG) (1998) and drawn by Bonsignore (2003, 4).

Understanding more about hydrological (water) processes in metropolitan areas and potential effects of urbanization on these processes in an important first step. Plants intercept rainfall and hold a portion of the water on their leaves and stems. Leaf litter, decaying tree branches and stems, and other organic matter on the ground surface also accumulate and hold water.

54

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEWS

WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN F.R.E.D. [Fostering Resilient Ecological Development] Hunts Point Lifelines Lafitte Greenway Master plan

WETLANDS Shanghai Houtan Park Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park

SMALL PARKS & GREEN STREETS Gowanus Canal Sponge ParkTM Brooklyn Bridge Park

Fig. 3.01 View from coffice looking out towards the town square

Fig. 3.02 View from the pier looking towards the town square

Fig. 3.03 View into a local street & neighborhood

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEWS | WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN

WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN

FARROC [FOR A RESILIENT ROCKAWAY] Design Competition | Winning Design Solution

Small Means and Great End | White + ARUP in Association with Gensler | Arverne, Queens, NY ‘Small means and Great end’ is design proposal for the resilient development of Arverne East community. This project integrate a series of small, affordable, and smart interventions that center on three strategies: reduce and control damage; provide access in the event of a storm; and ensure quick recovery. The urban scheme is designed to reduce and control damage, to maintain access to essential functions and shelters, and to ensure a quick recovery. Also the design aims to create a stronger socio-economic, environment–moving beyond resilience. After Hurricane Sandy, the sense of community in the Far Rockaways grew much stronger in the face of disaster. This proposal tries to support that sense of community by providing appropriate size and well designed public spaces. (Farroc.com, 2013) Design implications: • Various building and landscape strategies for flood events • Affordable housing units • Open space network systems SOCIAL NODES

ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE

HURRICANE RESILIENCY

Fig. 3.04 Site plan

58

Fig. 3.05 Retail food market: Opening up the resource

Fig 3.06 Jobs and engagement with river life and wide open space wherever operations allow

Fig 3.07 Threading the south Bronx Greenway and integrated flood protection between industry and the water’s edge

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEW | WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN

WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN Rebuild By Design Competition | One of the Winners

Hunts Point Lifelines | PennDesign / OLIN | Hunts Point, Bronx, NY Hunts Point Lifelines focus on economic and community vulnerability to climate risks. The project demonstrates a model of WORKING WATERFRONT + WORKING COMMUNITY + WORKING ECOLOGY that applies in maritime industrial areas across the region. Four Lifelines organize the proposal; (Rebuild by Design, 2014) • Flood Protection Levee Lab: The design is cooperated with a south Bronx Green way. It incorporates an applied research model which called Levee Lab • Livelihoods: It demonstrates that local communities can participate in climate adaptation, understand its dynamics and risks, and benefit from public and private sector investments in resilience.

• Maritime Emergency Supply Lines: A base of operations in Hunts Point for the distribution of goods, personnel, and equipment to areas under emergency.

• Cleanways: A series of infrastructure elements that improve connectivity, sociability, air quality, safe passage for pedestrians through truck routes, food access, commercial activity, and filtration of stormwater in major rain events.

Design implication: • Different water edge strategies for flood protection • Culturally sensitive development to protect living wage jobs and serving as a model for working waterfronts • Multi-functional greenway system HARBOR HERON ISLANDS

THE POINT

WETLAND FLOATING POOL

6 TRAIN

SUSTAINABLE SOUTH BRONX

PIER

BARRETTO PARK

NEW METRO NORTH STATION NEW BUSINESSES IN THE FOOD CLUSTER

ROCKING THE BOAT + THE POINT RIVER CAMPUS

WASTE WATER PLANT EXPANDED HUNTS POINT COOPERATIVE MARKET

TIDAL INLET WATER FILTER

HUNTS POINT COOPERATIVE MARKET

RESTAURANTS EVENT SPACE SUPPLY PIER

EXPANDED HUNTS POINT TERMINAL MARKET (PRODUCE) NEW FUELING STATION

STORMWATER FILTER

BALDOR

EEL GRASS RESTORATION DAIRYLAND

CITARELLA / SULTANA KRASDALE

HUNTS POINT LANDING

RIVERSIDE PARK KAYAK LAUNCH AND TIDAL INLET

TRI-GEN PLANT

FULTON FISH MARKET

MUDFLATS

NEW BUSINESS

ANHEUSER BUSCH

MUDFLATS OVERLOOK

FISHING DOCK

TIDAL WETLAND BAY PAVILLION BOATHOUSE + LAB

FILTER GARDEN

DINGHY SAILING AREA

Fig 3.08 Modernizing economic hub, maritime exchange, river life and working communities in 2040

60

Design Con

Fig. 3.09 Native plant communities of the Greenway

Imagery

The overarching pl concept for the Lafi wildlife habitat, eco environmental prot of an urban greenw accomplished by th native Louisiana pl communities withi Greenway. Native p native communitie found in, or in prox planned.

BOTTOMLAND HARDWOODS

SWAMP

NATURAL LEVEE

NEW ORLEANS

COASTAL PRAIRIE

Sandbar Willow

White Mangrove

Bald Cypress

Swamp Tupelo

Drummond Red Maple

Black Willow

River Birch

Sweet Gum

Live Oak

American Elm

Longleaf Pine

Japanese Magnolia

Date Palm

Savannah Holly

Little Bluestem

Bushy Bluestem

Switchgrass

Cabbage Palmetto

Buttonbush

Eastern Baccharis

Virginia Willow

Swamp Maple

Black Mangrove

American Sycamore

Laurel Oak

Tulip Tree

Southern Magnolia

Bigleaf Magnolia

Dogwood

Sweet Olive

Banana Tree

Sago Palm

Yellow-Eyed Grass

Indian Grass

Eastern Gamma Grass

Gulf Coast Spikerush

Hairawn Muhly

Maidencane

Water Tupelo

Button Mangrove

Wild Azalea

Green Hawthorn

Sweet Bay

Roughleaf Dogwood

Eastern Redbud

Red Buckeye

Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum

Camellia

Mock Orange

Azalea

Gulf Cordgrass

White Top Sedge

Toothache Grass

Needlegrass Rush

Jamaica Swamp Sawgrass

Marsh Marigold

Resurrection Fern

Swamp Mallow

Hibiscus Coccineus

Dahoon Holly

Titi Leatherwood

Two-Winged Silver Bells

Oakleaf Hydrangea

American Beautyberry

Inland Sea Oats

Crape Myrtle

Bougainvillea

Gardenia

Late Purple Aster

Drummond Rain Lilly

Prairie Coneflower

Seaside Goldenrod

Cardinal Flower

Bushy Seaside Tansy

Louisiana Iris

Lizard’s Tail

Swamp Lily Crinum

Dwarf Palmetto

Wax Myrtle

Wood Fern

False Foxglove

Coneflower

Yarrow

Dwarf Bottlebrush

Cast Iron

Algerian Ivy

Coral Bean

Single-Stem Scurfpea

Maypop

Arrowwood Viburnum

The majority of coastal wetlands in Louisiana are intertidal marshes. The Marshlands are adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and contain a rich diversity of plant life adapted to freshwater, brackish, and saline marshes. Plant species diversity increases as salinity decreases. Grasses, forbs and shrubs dominate the intertidal emergent wetlands classified as saline and brackish marsh while freshwater marshes are dominated by herbaceous plants or trees. A third of Louisiana’s coastal marsh has disappeared and an estimated 50 acres are lost each day. Louisiana’s valuable coastal marshes provide crucial habitat to migratory birds and are estimated to be the source of 30 to 40 percent of the commercial seafood harvest in the United States.

Swamplands are wetlands that are flooded by shallow bodies of water. North American swamps contain a variety of aquatic vegetation dominated by woody species that can tolerate periodical inundation and varying degrees of salinity. Water stagnation is common in these areas characterized by slow moving water. Historically swamps were viewed as useless and dangerous so they were often drained for agriculture. Today we recognize these ecosystems as invaluable ecological habitat.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

The Bottomland Hardwood Forests are a type of deciduous hardwood forest found in lowland floodplains along riparian corridors and lakes. The majority of this ecosystem exists in the lower Mississippi River floodplain.

Dominant tree species include Bald Cypress, Sweetgum, and Oak. These regions are subject to seasonal flooding and many of the trees are characterized by the presence of knees, aerial roots, or flared trunks. This ecosystem plays a valuable role in improving water quality, filtering nutrients, and reducing sediment before it reaches open water. The loss of Bottomland Hardwoods increases the risk and severity of flooding for communities downstream because these forests provide areas to store floodwater.

In the last 200 years Bottomland Hardwood Forests acreage has been reduced by sixty percent largely due to its conversion to cropland.

Natural levees are embankments that parallel the course of a river or bayou. They build up over time by seasonal flooding of rivers and bayous that have not been controlled. These plant communities tend to be more stable and have a longer life cycle. They are made up of a mix of trees, shrubs, and understory species that are adapted to sandy soils and occasional flooding.

The New Orleans plant palette is as vibrant as its culture.

The subtropical climate lends itself to a colorful mix of species that reveal a European, American, and Caribbean influence. High winds associated with hurricanes have naturally selected the more resistant plant communities over time. The form, color, and fragrance of the city’s plants help define New Orleans as the unique place that it is.

SYSTEMS CHARACTERVEGETATION OF NATIVE VEGETATION SYSTEMS

AUGUST 2011 Mitchell J. Landrieu, Mayor

Mitchell J. Landrieu, Mayor

Fig. 3.10 Basin street Crossing

Fig. 3.11 Canal view Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

The Coastal Prairie that spans from southwest Louisiana through southeast Texas has many characteristics in common with the Midwest tallgrass prairie. In Louisiana switchgrass, little bluestem, big bluestem, and Indiangrass are the dominant species. As a result of ranching and agriculture, today less than one percent remains of the estimated nine million Coastal Prairie acres that existed before European settlement. The Coastal Prairie that remains in Louisiana is often referred to as the “Cajun Prairie”. This ecosystem is considered one of the most endangered and the majority of the remnants are found adjacent to railroad tracts. In the patches of Coastal Prairie that remain, a high diversity of tallgrass and wildflower species can still be found.

Native Plant Communities of the Greenway

All Photo Credits: Design Workshop Team

MARSH

The planting plan f Corridor uses nativ representative of ex plant communities, hardwoods, natura communities. Histo hardwoods and nat were crossed by the corridor. The lowe of marsh and botto two most prevalent of the railroad corr elevation supportin component. The ra have supported at le of the coastal prairi typical of these nat planned for the Lafi

CASE REVIEWS | WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN

WATER FRONT MASTER PLAN Lafitte Greenway Master plan | DESIGNWORKSHOP | New Orleans, Louisiana The Lafitte Greenway is part of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s “Committed Projects” to convert the 3.1 mile right of way into a greenway, publicly accessible open space, recreation areas and other amenities. This project scope includes the trail design for the entire 3.1 mile stretch of the Greenway and the Green way Park which is about 16.5 acres. It aims to provide a safe, publicly accessible open space that reflects the needs and desires of the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Lafitte Greenway is surrounded by existing and new developments and land uses that will affect the future of the Greenway. Residents of the Lafitte Housing Development share the Greenway as part of their front porch and provide eyes on the Greenway that are essential to the Greenway’s safety and viability. Greenway is programed in consideration of surrounding land uses, thus where residents, business owners and the larger community can easily access it for recreation. (Friends of Lafitte Corridor, 2013) Design implication: • Green infrastructure: Rain gardens, Rain harvesting, Permeable pavement and green alleys • Connect greenways within a larger open space system • Buffer noise and light pollution • Preserve and enhance the mixed-use • Create a safe greenway corridor Fig. 3.12 Master plan

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Fig. 3.13 Master plan

Fig. 3.14 Aerial view

Fig. 3.15 The water cleaning mechanism of wetland Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEWS | WETLAND

WETLAND Shanghai Houtan Park | TURENSCAPE | Shanghai, China Shanghai Houtan Park and Newtown Creek Revitalization project includes humid, sub-tropical climates, and unique landscape as layers of agricultural and industrial past of the site. The park applied various design strategies to treat polluted river water and recover the degraded waterfront. It has constructed wetland, ecological flood control, reclaimed industrial structure and materials, and urban agriculture. (Turenscape.com, 2007) • Constructed Wetland and Regenerative Design: A linear constructed wetland, 1.7 kilometers (one mile) long and 5–30 meters (16.5–100 feet) wide was designed as a living machine to treat contaminated water from the Huangpu River. Cascades and terraces are used to oxygenate the nutrient rich water, remove and retain nutrients and reduce suspended sediments while creating pleasant water features. Different species of wetland plants were selected and designed to absorb different pollutants from the water. Also the wetland acts as a flood protection buffer • Heritage and Vision: Crops and wetland plants create an urban farm allowing people to witness seasonal changes. The reclamation of industrial structures and materials express the industrial spirit of site.

• Path Network: The pedestrian network is composed of a main loop, a series of perpendicular roads bisecting the wetland and a multitude of footpaths leading through the terraces.

Design implication: • Wetland as a buffer for potential flood • Water purification systems through terraced wetland • Various pedestrian network along the wetland • Thematic programming of each nodes and paths • Reclaimed industrial structures and materials

Fig. 3.16 The linear wetland with terraces covered by a variety of native grasses

64

Fig. 3.17 The adaptation process visualized in habitat patches

Fig. 3.18 Bird-eye view of divers patchy landscape of pond cavities

Fig. 3.19 A dry caviy upon a mound above a garbage dump Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEWS | WETLAND

WETLAND Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park | TURENSCAPE | Tianjin City, China This is a park of 22 hectares (54 acres) in the northern coastal city of Tianjin, China.

Densely populated at the south and east boundaries, the site is bounded on the west and north sides by a highway and an overpass. Turenscape transformed this former deserted shooting range used as a garbage dump, into a low-maintenance urban park; providing diverse nature’s services for the city including containing and purifying stormwater; improving the saline–alkali soil, providing opportunities for environmental education and creating a cherished aesthetic experience.

The site landscape have been mostly destroyed by decades of urban development and infrastructure construction. A solution for this park was developed called the Adaptation Palettes, which was designed to let nature work. A simple landscape regenerative design strategy was devised, one that included digging 21 pond cavities varying from 10 to 40 meters in diameter, and from one to five meters in depth. The garbage was handled in the earth work. Some cavities are below ground level and some above on mounds.

(Turenscape.com, 2007) Design implication: • Strategy to containing and purifying stormwater • Ecology-driven Adaptation Palettes • Seasonal changes in plant species integrate with the native landscape • Introducing ecosystem to the public

Fig. 3.20 A deep water pond with an environmental interpretation board

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Fig. 3.21 Site plan Fig. 3.22 Sponge park phytoremediation

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEWS | SMALL PARKS & GREEN STREETS

SMALL PARKS & GREEN STREETS Gowanus Canal Sponge ParkTM | Dlandstudio | Brooklyn, NY Gowanus Canal is in the similar condition with the Newtown Creek which has rich history, designated as a Superfund site and surrounded with industries. Dlandstudio worked with local community organizations, government agencies, and elected officials to create a new kind of public open space. The Sponge ParkTM design offers various ways of treating contaminated water with a serious of multifunctional public spaces along the Gowanus Canal.

This innovative plan proposes strategies to collect and reuse storm water in the new public park and draw heavy metals and biological toxins out of contaminated water with the plants and engineered soils. The design proposes a strategy of urban stitching to create a continuous esplanade with recreational spaces spanning 1.5 miles along the canal. The proposed total area for the Gowanus Canal Sponge Park™ is 11.4 acres: 7.9 acres of esplanade and recreational open spaces, and 3.5 acres of remediation wetland basins. Proposed floating remediation wetlands include a mixture of aquatic organisms that absorb or break down organic toxins, heavy metals, and biological contaminants from sewage. (Dlandstudio.com, 2012) Design implication: • Strategies to direct, collect and absorb excess storm water runoff • Cleaning stormwater runoff though phytoremediation • Restoring wetland habitat • Connecting the public and private lands with a serious of public spaces along the canal Fig. 3.23 Street end axonometric

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Fig. 3.24 Night view from Granate Prospect at Pier 1

Fig. 3.25 Daytime view of Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn

Fig. 3.26 Nighttime view of Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

CASE REVIEWS | SMALL PARKS & GREEN STREETS

SMALL PARKS & GREEN STREETS Brooklyn Bridge Park | Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. | Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85 acre sustainable waterfront park stretching 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline. Its planning, construction, maintenance and operation performed by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation. Maintenance and operations of the park aims to be economically self-sufficient, financed through revenues from commercial and residential development within the site to accomplish fiscal sustainability of the park. (Brooklyn Bridge Park, 2008) The park is divided into eleven sections: Piers 1 through 6, Fulton Ferry Landing, Brooklyn Bridge Plaza, Empire Fulton Ferry, Main Street, and John Street. Each of these sections features unique topographies, plantings, amenities, and cultural artifacts and installations. (Mvvainc.com, 2005) Design implication: • Economic self-sufficiency • Variety of recreational activity programming • Diverse planting palette • Connection with New York water taxi system • Adaptive reuse of existing buildings URBAN JUNCTIONS: concentrate development at the park entries connecting the city with the park

Fig. 3.27 Master plan

STRUCTURAL ECONOMY: careful site programming calibrated with the structural capacity EDGE COMPLEXITY: in literal, scientific, spatial and metaphoric ways MICRO-CLIMATE and FORM: the site is exposed to high solar, wind exposure, noise from the expressway, river currents, wakes, and sedimentation 70

REGIONAL SITE ANALYSIS DIAGRAMS Hydrology / Land Use / Zoning Mobility / Building inventory Open space & vacant lot / Others

SITE ANA

LYS I

S

PHOTOGRAPHY INVENTORY OPPORTUNITY AND CONSTRAINTS

72

New York City Department of Environmental Protection

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

Newtown Creek WB/WS Facility Plan Study Are

Newtown Creek Waterbody/Watershed Plan

Figure 1

The following regional site analysis takes an in-depth look at “Newtown Creek Brown field Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination report� from BOA partners. All other GIS map data sources from NYC planning department. (Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report, 2012)

n ea

1-2

74

REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS •

•

•

Hydrology

High risk flood: Most of the regional site lies within the 100-year flood plain, where flood insurance and special building requirements are necessary.

Coastal storm impact: Almost all of the regional site lies within storm surge zones that may require mandatory evacuation during coastal storms.

Wetland hydrology Multiple water supply sources, regular tidal inundation with slow groundwater recharge and overland flow during peak storm events, feeding tidal wetland in Newtown Creek has been disrupted from filling, bulkheading and expansive impervious surfaces

Fig 4.01 100-year flood plain

Legend 100 year floodplain - the area determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to have a 1% annual risk of flooding, or 26% chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortagage. In the Newtown Creek area, this occurs at 10 feet above sea level.

N

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

SITE ANALYSIS | REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS

• •

•

•

Main water supply into the Creek is stormwater runoff, and a mix of untreated sewage wastewater Because of a thick contaminated layer of sediments, there is no water movement save that give by tidal action With NYC DEP’s a monitoered aeration blower facility, placed diffusers increase dissolved oxygen levels Possible small pockets of adaptive wetland marsh systems at various point along the creek (Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report, 2012)

Fig 4.02 Topography with Opportunistic areas

Legend 10 Foot countour interval Opportunistic areas to implement constructed wetland Opportunistic areas to implement street end stormwater runoff treatment

N

76

Land Use Over half (56.7%) of the regional site’s developable area is occupied by industrial & manufacturing uses.

Transportation & utility uses occupy nearly a third (32.3%), while the remainder is commercial, parking, or vacant.

• The industrial use pattern surrounding Newtown Creek comprises one of the largest continuous industrial districts in NYC. • Industrial, manufacturing, transportation or utilities make up 89% of the regional site, by use.

•

Fig 4.03 Land Use

Legend industrial_manufacturing transportation_utility commercial_office mixed use multifamily elevation multifamily walk-up 1-2 family building public facilities_institution openspace / parking facilities

N

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

SITE ANALYSIS | REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS

Zoning M1 zones surrounding the regional site have been reduced by recent rezoning, making the buffer between heavy industry and the residential and mixeduse neighborhoods smaller • Much of the East River waterfront has been up-zoned to allow residential and mixed-use developments on what was once an entirely industrial waterfront • The regional site is almost wholly zoned as M3, which permits heavy industry intended to be separated from residential use.

•

Fig 4.04 Zoning

Legend M1-3: Manufacturing zones C4-6: Commercial zones

PARK R4-9 MediumHigh Density Residential zones

N

78

Mobility • Various transportation systems, such as two regional freight rail, adjacent highways which provide quick connections to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the larger region, serve the regional site boundary • Newtown Creek is strategically located relative to regional and local traffic and transit network • Existing infrastructure is more focused on freight transportation than public access to the site • Improvement and extension need for bike paths and pedestrian promenade • Congestion is a problem on Grand, Metropolitan and Greenpoint Ave.

Fig 4.05 Public transportation

Legend NYC East river ferry Subway Bus route Bike path

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

N

SITE ANALYSIS | REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS

Building Inventory • Most of buildings within the regional site are lower than 35feet; this allows great view of the Manhattan skyline over the Creek • Warehouses make up more than half the building square footage in the regional site boundary; this figure includes a growing number of self-storage conversions • Larger buildings concentrate around Dytch Kills, English Kills, and the central portion of Newtown Creek

Fig 4.06 Building height

Legend (feet) 0-20 20-35 35-60 60-140 140-600

N

80

SITE ANALYSIS | REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS

Open space & Vacant lot • Only four parks/open spaces exist within regional site boundary • Actual unused vacant land is difficult to quantify with precision, as many sites that seem vacant have temporary storage uses • Underused spaces: A portion of such land actually functions as driveways, access routes, or active storage yards for construction materials, flatbeds, truck trailers, and even cars awaiting auction among vacant land (Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report, 2012)

Fig 4.07 Open space & Vacant lot

Legend Open space & Recreation Parking facilities Empty lots Vacant lots Underused space [Source : BOA report]

N

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

SITE ANALYSIS | REGIONAL SITE DIAGRAMS

Others The following analysis is based on “Newtown Creek Brown field Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination report.” from BOA partners.

Fig 4.08 Ownership map • four-fi Over four-fifths(81.6%) of developable land theproject projectarea area is is privately area Over fths (81.6%) of developable land in in the privatelyowned. owned.Low Low area public ownerpublicoptions ownership options for redevelopment. ship limits for limits redevelopment .

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owners,Ownership National Grid controls the largest site. Downriver of National Grid other multinational oil companies MTA/LIRR Among privatePrivate control large parcels on the Brooklyn side. On the Queens side of the Creek, the biggest site is the former Phelps Dodge property City Owned now owned by Freeport McMoRan. It stands, mostly undeveloped, divided among several owners. Medium and small sites along Authority Ownership the upper tributaries have a diverse array of owners. Government agencies and public authorities, most notably New York City, Fig MTA/LIRR 4.09 Known andcontrol potential brownfield sites map of Environmental Protection controls the most land: it operates the Newtown Creek a number of parcels. The Department Private Ownership Water Pollution Control Plant.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC INVENTORY Regional site boundary

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

SITE ANALYSIS | PHOTOGRAPHIC INENTORY

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN REGIONAL MASTER PLAN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

The design shows a synthesis of the literature review, case reviews, and site analysis presented in the previous chapters.

This presents the outcomes of this research and analysis, to create holistic design that acknowledges the rich history of Newtown Creek, and unique character of working industry and neighborhoods, while moving forward to sustainable future of the site.

Regional master plan focused on improvement of open space network system along the Creek with safe and pleasant public access. With Newtown Creek Hub, it illustrates a multifunctional hub, which includes mixed-use, workforce housing, boat terminal, repurposed community center, and recreational center.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | GOALS + PROGRAMS

• Suggest a multi-functional hub at Newtown Creek not only to support maritime operation but also to integrate commercial, recreational, and educational uses by encouraging the adaptive reuse of buildings.

• • • • • • • •

Recreational center Community center Maker's house Open local farmer's and fish market Mixed use workforce housing Green and blue industry Increased freight vessel system Art, sound, and film studios

• Identify and create accessible routes linking local communities to the Newtown Creek Waterfront.

• Trail, bike lane, bus stops, boat taxi stops • Public open spaces by the water body with boat taxi stops

• Protect and enhance the quality and function of ecological systems and improve water quality.

• • • • • • •

Small pocket parks along the Creek Green street Rain gardens Infiltration planters Wildlife habitat Wetland Natural berms

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Pocket park and various trails connects along the creek within broader open space network.

Improved various public routes with water taxi, bike lanes and pedestrian trails to the creek.

Restored the ecological functions of the Creek by utilizing constructed wetlands, habitat restoration, upland site remediation, and green infrastructure Newtown Creek Hub: A multi functional hub includes workforce housing community.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

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PROPOSED VS EXISTING OPENSPACE EXISTING

Existing public street ends serve as public entry nodes enabling public access to the waterfront, as well as providing an open space network for community-oriented programs such as dog runs, community gardens, public exhibition spaces, and temporary markets. Especially by the waterfront, the design offers pleasant park and wetland converted from abandoned lots.

PROPOSED

Proposed open space and new green street includes wetlands, rain gardens, infiltration swales, planted street end reradiation basins and porous pavement.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | REGIONAL MASTER PLAN

PROPOSED VS EXISTING PUBLIC ACCESS EXISTING

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

PROCESS OF NEWTOWN CREEK HUB By creating clusters with new mixed use blocks, more space is freed up to offer large, shared community courtyards and semi-private parks, similar to European private courts or squares. All properties will have their own external balcony or terrace in addition to these communal courtyards.

These shared courtyards will provide a safe, outdoor pace located away from car traffic. The design allows a natural bond among the workforce housing units around each of the courtyards.

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NEWTOWN CREEK HUB AERIAL VIEW

Each public space has their own distinct character, which helps identify programmed elements with their proximity to the surrounding buildings. The north eastern plaza is more urban and fully programmed with recreational functions that relate to repurposed recreation center, in addition to active outdoor activities by the creek.

Most buildings are oriented on an east-west axis, this in combination with vegetation and integrated sun shading, will reduce solar heat gain.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

The streetscape and building frontages are designed to reduce the visual, acoustical, spatial, and environmental impact of cars while the still providing minimum parking capacity. Sustainable elements, such as bioswales located along the street, perforated street pavement, and a variety of plan types are important resiliency control measures for storm water and rainfall runoff and make a pleasant street environment. Especially, Main street which cut through the urban layout connects between Grand street and boat terminal providing stormwater management system.

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PROCESS OF URBAN FABRIC DEVELOPMENT EXISTING CONDITION

Newtown Creek Relocate the YRC Clean up the abandoned lots and old small ware houses

Repurposed building

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OPEN SPACE+CIRCULATION

Open space

Transform into wetland Pedestrian / Bike circulation

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

NEW & REPURPOSED BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Boat terminal Art studios Markets Mixed-use Workforce housing

Recreation Center Maker’s house

Community Center

LANDSCAPE PROGRAMING

Living waterfront Hard scape boat terminal plaza Outdoor activity plaza

Sunken forest

Land berm playground

Main street Wetland

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BUILDING USE

Commercial: Areas used for retail and wholesale facilities that are of local and cultural importance.

Mixed use: Urban used for a combination of functions, including workforce housing, light industry, office, commercial, culture, pulbic facilities, sport and services of all kinds.

Multi-Familty Residential (Walk-up): Areas used purely for residence, in this case, most of them are workforce housing Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

Existing Industry

New Industry: Green, blue industries which provide a attractive environments for jobs and are compatible with nearby neighborhoods.

Civic: Public amenities expecially for education and training, health and social care, public administration and sport.

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NEWTOWN CREEK HUB MASTER PLAN

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WATER-LAND EDGE STRATEGIES (NYC Planning, 2013)

Living Shorelines •

Living shorelines can retain and create a diversity of habitat types and may also help improve water quality by filtering nutrients and other pollutants through wetlands or filter feeders.

Revetment (also called “rip-rap”) •

Revetments may provide more opportunities for intertidal habitats than completely vertical structures, but neverheless still act as a barrier between upland and aquatic habitats and are not a suitable alternative to natural intertidal habitats provided by natural, vegetated shorelines.

Bulkheads •

By providing a sheer surface between the land and water, bulkheads facilitate maritime vessel access.

Waterfront Parks •

Waterfront buffer parks can provide public access to the waterfront in areas previously inaccessible, and can improve existing public access areas by redesigning them so that they can quickly recover from a flood event.

Floating Islands •

Floating vegetated islands share many of the ecosystem benefits of wetlands, such as habitat creation, nutrients, carbon sequestration, and water quality improvement.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

114

A. REMEDIATION WETLAND BASINS

SECTIONS Reservoir cisterns are connected to street sewer drains to diver exess street runoff. Collected water is distributed into the constructed wetland basins for remediation. This section describes the water purification mechanism of constructed wetland. Cascades and terraces are used to oxygenate the nutrient rich water, remove and retain nutrients and reduce suspended sediments while creating pleasant water features. Different species of wetland plants were selected and designed to absorb different pollutants from the water.

Reservoir Cisterns

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Planted Basins: Shrub Wetland

20’

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

30’

Terraces for Aeration and BioPurification

Subsurface Filtration

DESIGN | CREEK HUB DESIGN | NEWTOWN

The wetland also acts as a flood protection buffer. The meandering valley along the wetland creates a series of thresholds creating visual interest and refuge within the industrial sites with opportunities for recreation, education, and research. Irregular surface of wetland intended to receive sheet flow of stormwater and safely reconnecting people to the water’s edge. Additionally, the existing bulkhead will be replaced by a more habitat-friendly riprap that allows native species to grow along the creek bank while protecting the shoreline from erosion.

Planted Basins: Deep Marsh

116

B. LAND BERM PLAYGROUND Reservoir cisterns are connected to street sewer drains to divert excess street runoff. Collected water is distributed into the constructed wetland basins for remediation. This section describes the water purification mechanism of the constructed wetland.

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10’

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

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DESIGN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

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C. SUNKEN FOREST A urban forest below street level offers pleasant landscape, also provides a first line of defense against a future storm surge at the same time.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

DESIGN | NEWTOWN CREEK HUB

0’

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Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

1. BOAT TERMINAL & WATER FRONT PARK Extended water taxi system to the Newtown Creek will be the optimal alternative as a new transportation for the local workers and people who travel to Manhattan everyday. Also collected and purified storm water through the site will celebrated with fountain and water fall.

122

2. REPURPOSED RECREATION CENTER All kinds of outdoor activities can happen here.

Canoeing, skateboarding, bike riding, basketball, and climbing. The roof of the recreation center, which is repurposed from the existing food cooperation building, generates energy from solar panels and hydroponic urban gardening.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

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3. WETLAND WITH PEDESTRIAN/BIKE WAYS The wetlands on the east have more natural character and establishes a transition from the urban landscape to the protected nature preserve with its various trails and education signs. They play an essential role in the flood resiliency strategy, as they also act as water retention and detention basins.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

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4. RAIN GARDENS IN GRAND STREET Rain gardens are landscaped reservoirs that collect, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff, allowing pollutants to settle and filter out as the water percolated through planter soil and infiltrates into the ground. Rain gardens require less piping than flow-through planters and a smaller facility size than traditional swales where native soils allow for infiltration. These are integrated into the overall site design to manage stormwater flowing from al types of impervious surfaces, from private property and within the public right-of-way.

WETLAND WITH PEDESTRIAN/BIKE WAYS Created pathways wetland system Newtownvarious Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn &within Queens, NYC

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CONCLUSIONS This project envisions a sustainable future for the Newtown Creek area. While the design suggestions made here represent a mindful effort to offer possible steps which acknowledges visions from New York City Planning and local communities. There is enormous potential in furthering understanding in this unique site, as well as making a great impact in the way Newtown Creek can and should be approached in order to make the waterfront more sustainable and responsible in the future.

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

REFERENCES

WORK CITED Amended Green City Clean Waters. (2011) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www.phillywatersheds.org/ doc/GCCW_AmendedJune2011_LOWRES-web.pdf Bergdoll, B. (2011). Rising currents. New York: Museum of Modern Art. Bone, K., Betts, M., & Greenberg, S. (1997). The New York waterfront. New York: Monacelli Press.

Breen, A., & Rigby, D. (1984). Urban waterfronts ‘83. Washington, D.C.: Waterfront Press.

Brooklyn Bridge Park,. (2008). Brooklyn Bridge Park. Retrieved 17 April 2015, from http://www. brooklynbridgepark.org/ Curran, W., & Hamilton, T. (2012). Just green enough: contesting environmental gentrification in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Local Environment, 17(9), 1027-1042. doi:10.1080/13549839.2012.729569 Dlandstudio.com,. (2012). Gowanus Canal Sponge Park™. Retrieved 27 January 2015, from http:// www.dlandstudio.com/projects_gowanus.html Echols, S. (2007). Artful Rainwater Design in the Urban Landscape. Journal Of Green Building, 2(4), 101-122. doi:10.3992/jgb.2.4.101 Eggers, F., & Moumen, F. American Housing Survey: Housing Adequacy and Quality as Measured by the AHS. SSRN Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2284174 Farroc.com,. (2013). FAR ROC Design Competition. Retrieved 24 February 2015, from http://www. farroc.com/ Forsyth, A., Musacchio, L., & Fitzgerald, F. (2005). Designing small parks. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley.

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Friends of Lafitte Corridor,. (2013). Lafitte Greenway Plans. Retrieved 20 March 2015, from http://www. folc-nola.org/lafitte-greenway-plans Haughey, R. (2002). ULI Land Use Policy Forum Report Workforce Housing: Barriers, Solutions, and Model Programs. In The ULI Workforce Housing Forum. Washington, D.C.: Urgan Land Institute.

Retrieved from http://www.tbrpc.org/resource_center/pdfs/housing/ULI_Workforce_Housing.pdf Huduser.org,. (2015). American Housing Survey | HUD USER. Retrieved 7 May 2015, from http:// www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/ahs.html Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy. (2013) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/ documents/huddoc?id=hsrebuildingstrategy.pdf Low Impact Development Approaches Handbook. (2009) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://nacto.org/ docs/usdg/lid_handbook_clean_water_services.pdf Marcus, C., & Francis, C. (1990). People places. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Mvvainc.com,. (2005). Brooklyn Bridge Park Master Plan. Retrieved 11 April 2015, from http://www. mvvainc.com/project.php?id=86 National Low Income Housing Coalition,. (2010). Out of Reach 2010.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency,Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service,. (2003). •An Introduction and User’s Guide to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement (pp.

4-13,29,34,45,78-79,85). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service and Environmental Protection Agency.

Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report. (2012) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/boa/ NYC Green Infrastructure 2013 Annual Report. (2014) (1st ed.). The City of New York. Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/green_infrastructure/gi_annual_report_2014.pdf NYC Planning,. (2013). Coastal Climate Resilience Designing for Flood Risk. The City of New York: The City of New York.

NYC Planning,. (2013). Coastal Climate Resilience Urban Waterfront Adaptive Strategies (pp. 5,30,7088). THE CITY OF NEW YORK: Department of city planning city of New York.

NYC Planning,. (2013). The New York City Waterfront Revitalization Program. The City of New York: The City of New York.

Plunz, R. A history of housing in New York City. New York: Columbia history of urban life.

Public Health Assessment Newtown Creek. (2014) (1st ed.). The City of New York. Retrieved from https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/newtown/docs/pha_final.pdf Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

REFERENCES | WORK CITED

Rebuild by Design,. (2014). Hunts Point Lifelines. Retrieved 16 April 2015, from http://www. rebuildbydesign.org/project/penndesignolin-final-proposal/#details Rotterdam Adaptation Strategy. (2013) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www.turas-cities.org/uploads/ biblio/document/file/271/RCI_RAS_2013_EN_LR.pdf Schittich, C. (2004). High-density housing. München: Edition Detail.

Schneider, F., & Heckmann, O. (2004). Floor plan manual housing = GrundriBatlas wohnungsbau.

Basel [etc.]: Birkhäuser.

The City of New York, Department of City Planning,. (2011). VISION 2020 New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The City of New York: The City of New York.

Turenscape.com,. (2007). Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park. Retrieved 20 March 2015, from http://www. turenscape.com/english/projects/project.php?id=339 Turenscape.com,. (2007). Shanghai Houtan Park. Retrieved 3 February 2015, from http://www. turenscape.com/English/projects/project.php?id=443 Water.epa.gov,. (2003). An Introduction to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement | Restoration | US EPA. Retrieved 16 March 2015, from http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/restore/ finalinfo.cfm Waterfront Vision Plan Astoria & Long Island City, Queens. (2011) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www. greenshoresnyc.org/uploads/3/1/1/8/3118009/waterfront_vision_plan_for_astoria__long_island_city_ queens_08032011.pdf Wilson, R. (2007). Workforce housing in New York City: A case study of Urban American, LLC. Cornell Real Estate Review, 5, 69-79.

Book Layout Reference Elkin, R. (2014). GSD Platform 6. S.l.: Actar.

GIS Data References NYCityMap http://www.nyc.gov/citymap.

USGS MAP GUIDE http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ openstreet map http://www.openstreetmap.org/ open new york https://data.ny.gov/ http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/gis/manual/metromodel/ GIS data http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/bytes/applbyte.shtml#zoning_related http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/ Flood zone https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search Habitat map http://habitatmap.org/ Census data http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/bk01_info.shtml

134

IMAGE SOURCES Chapter 1 Introduction Fig 1.01

dailycoloringpages.com,. US. Retrieved from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1c/ 80/26/1c8026f1048291464f2ed7115062500d.jpg

Fig 1.02

sweetclipart.com,. new_york. Retrieved from http://sweetclipart.com/multisite/sweetclipart/files/ new_york.png

Fig 1.03

wikimedia.org,. Neighbouthoods New York City Map. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Neighbourhoods_New_York_City_Map.PNG

Fig 1.04

USGS,. BROOKLYN QUADRANGLE NEW YORK 7.5-MINUTE SERIES. 2013. Print.

Fig 1.05-09

Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report. (2012) (1st ed.).

Retrieved from http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/boa/

Fig 1.10

Newtown Creek Alliance,. NCA_Banner_3. Retrieved from http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/ Public Lab,. Shopify-Logo. Retrieved from http://publiclab.org/about Green Shore NYC,. Retrieved from http://www.greenshoresnyc.org/about-us.html Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning,. Retrieved from http://gwapp.org/ Newtown Creek Armada,. Retrieved from http://newtowncreekarmada.org/ North Brooklyn Boat Club,. Retrieved from http://northbrooklynboatclub.org/about/ Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report. (2012) (1st ed.).

Retrieved from http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/boa/

Chapter 2 Literature review Fig 2.01-02

NYC Planning,. (2013). The New York City Waterfront revitalization program. New York City: NYC PLANNING Department of City Planning city of New York.

Fig 2.03

Brooklyn Bridge Park,. (2008). Brooklyn Bridge Park. Retrieved 17 April 2015, from http://www. brooklynbridgepark.org/ Credit: Julienne Schaer.

Fig 2.04

DBA,. (2015). Eddy & Taylor Family Housing. Retrieved from http://www.dbarchitect.com/images/ dynamic/slideshow_images/image//20618_2015-03-20_view_down_eddy.jpg

Fig 2.05-14

NYC Planning,. (2011). VISION 2020: New York City comprehensive waterfront plan. New York City: Department of City Planning city of New York.

Fig 2.15

Wetland Restoration & Training LLC,. (2015). scenic. Retrieved from http://www. wetlandrestorationandtraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/scenic.jpg

Fig 2.16

Turenscape.com,. (2007). Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park. Retrieved 20 March 2015, from http:// www.turenscape.com/english/projects/project.php?id=339

Newtown Creek Revitalization | Brooklyn & Queens, NYC

REFERENCES | IMAGE SOURCES

Fig 2.17-25

Forsyth, Ann, Musacchio, Laura, & Fitzgerald, Frank. (2005). Designing small parks : a manual addressing social and ecological concerns. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley.

Chapter 3 Case reviews Fig 3.01-04

Farroc.com,. (2013). FAR ROC Design Competition. Retrieved 24 February 2015, from http:// www.farroc.com/

Fig 3.05-08

Rebuild by Design,. (2014). Hunts Point Lifelines. Retrieved 16 April 2015, from http://www. rebuildbydesign.org/project/penndesignolin-final-proposal/#details

Fig 3.09-12

Friends of Lafitte Corridor,. (2013). Lafitte Greenway Plans. Retrieved 20 March 2015, from http:// www.folc-nola.org/lafitte-greenway-plans

Fig 3.13-16

Turenscape.com,. (2007). Shanghai Houtan Park. Retrieved 3 February 2015, from http://www. turenscape.com/English/projects/project.php?id=443

Fig 3.17-20

Turenscape.com,. (2007). Tianjin Qiaoyuan Wetland Park. Retrieved 20 March 2015, from http:// www.turenscape.com/english/projects/project.php?id=339

Fig 3.21-23

Dlandstudio.com,. (2012). Gowanus Canal Sponge Park™. Retrieved 27 January 2015, from http://www.dlandstudio.com/projects_gowanus.html

Fig 3.24-25

Brooklyn Bridge Park,. (2008). Brooklyn Bridge Park. Retrieved 17 April 2015, from http://www. brooklynbridgepark.org/

Fig 3.26-27

Mvvainc.com,. (2005). Brooklyn Bridge Park Master Plan. Retrieved 11 April 2015, from http:// www.mvvainc.com/project.php?id=86

Chapter 4 Site analysis Fig 4.01-07

GIS Data from NYC Department of City Planning

Fig 4.08-09

Newtown Creek Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Report. (2012) (1st ed.).

Retrieved from http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/boa/ All aerial images retrieved from Google Earth Pro. All images without citations are copyright of Sunyoung Roh.

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