Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan facts for kids
The Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan was launched in March 2011. It was introduced by Michael R. Bloomberg, who was the Mayor of New York City at the time. Also involved were Christine C. Quinn, the City Council Speaker, and Amanda Burden, the Director of the New York City Department of City Planning. This plan set out a guide for how New York City's waterfront areas would be developed over the next ten years.
The plan has two main parts. First, it included a three-year action plan with 130 projects that were already funded. These projects involved creating over 50 acres (20 ha) of new waterfront parks and building 14 new waterfront walkways called esplanades. It also introduced new commuter ferry services, like the NYC Ferry. Second, the plan provided a long-term guide for the city's 520 miles (840 km) of shoreline, looking ahead for a decade and beyond.
New York City's Waterfront: A Changing Story
New York City, like many other big cities, has been changing its waterfront areas a lot. These areas used to be mainly for shipping and other water-related businesses. Now, they are being turned into parks, homes, and places for new businesses. The city is also using its waterways more for transportation, fun activities, and protecting natural habitats.
This big change happened mostly because of something called containerization. This is a new way of shipping goods using large metal boxes called containers. Containerization completely changed the shipping industry. It meant that shipping companies needed huge, open spaces along the water and inland to store and move these containers.
Because of this, the Port of New York and New Jersey's shipping operations became much smaller, focusing on just six main locations around the harbor. This left many waterfront areas and piers empty and unused. These six busy terminals include:
- Red Hook Container Terminal, in Brooklyn
- New York Container Terminal, on Staten Island
- Port Newark Container Terminal, in Newark
- Global Marine Terminal, in Jersey City
- Maher Terminal, in Elizabeth
- APM Terminals, also in Elizabeth
Bringing Life Back to the Waterfront
After years of being left empty and uncared for, many of these old waterfront areas and shipping structures needed help. So, in 1992, the New York City Department of City Planning introduced its first Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. This 1992 plan suggested making changes to city rules, like changing the rezoning for certain areas. This would make sure the waterfront was used in ways that made sense for how the land was actually being used. As part of this plan, the City Zoning Resolution was updated in 1993. This update clearly defined what waterfront properties were and listed special rules for these areas.
To help keep the shipping industry and other water-dependent businesses that still exist, the plan also named six areas as Significant Maritime Industrial Areas (SMIA). These areas were already zoned for heavy manufacturing, and they will continue to be used for industry. The SMIA locations are:
- Kill Van Kull between Staten Island and Bayonne
- Sunset Park in Brooklyn
- Red Hook in Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn
- Newtown Creek in Brooklyn and Queens
- South Bronx in the Bronx
Goals for a Better Waterfront
The updated Comprehensive Waterfront Plan has eight important goals to make the city's waterfront even better:
- Goal 1: Easy Access for Everyone
* Make it easier for all New Yorkers and visitors to get to the waterfront and waterways. This includes both public and private areas.
- Goal 2: Fun and Lively Waterfronts
* Fill the waterfront with exciting and attractive activities that connect well with the neighborhoods next to them.
- Goal 3: Support Waterfront Jobs
* Help businesses and economic activities that rely on the waterfront to grow and succeed.
- Goal 4: Cleaner Water
* Improve the water quality through actions that help natural habitats, support public fun, and make waterfront and nearby communities better.
- Goal 5: Bring Nature Back
* Fix natural waterfront areas that have been damaged. Also, protect important areas like wetlands and shorefront habitats.
- Goal 6: Enjoy the "Blue Network"
* Make it more enjoyable for people to experience the waterways around New York City, which are called our "Blue Network."
- Goal 7: Better Government Help
* Improve how the government manages, coordinates, and oversees the waterfront and waterways.
- Goal 8: Ready for Climate Change
* Find and use strategies to make the city stronger against climate change and rising sea levels.
Because New York City's 520 miles of waterfront are so different, the plan divides the city into 22 different sections called reaches. These reaches are based on their ecological features and geography. Each reach has its own special plan to help achieve the eight goals of the overall plan.
The Vision 2020 plan was recognized for its excellence. It won the American Planning Association’s National Planning Excellence Award in 2012, specifically the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan.
