Not two years ago Hurricane Sandy swept across the Northeastern United States and Canada bringing a sobering blow to our (in)humane ability to test natures resolve. A new park on Governors Island emerged from Sandy's wrath with a stunning outcome that confirmed its preparedness and long vision for a changing world; a testament to 'designing-in change'. Raising the height of the Island's Park did not come without much debate. The beneficial effects of such debate, however, were ultimately revealed; the visionary planning and design can manifest by the Park's resilience and current use.
Across the Buttermilk Channel stands Brooklyn Bridge Park; still emerging as a regional if not national success story in the world of parks and public spaces, but steeped in debate and writhing in controversy over it's recently misconstrued reputation as a "residential enclave for the wealthiest New Yorkers" . . . "going full-NIMBY and waging war over the scourge of affordable housing". Brooklyn Bridge Park has brought with it a polarizing force that pits neighbour against neighbour; fighting for laudable goals to preserve open space, and at the same time ensure its financial sustainability within a funding model that necessitates its operation as a business rather than a publicly funded common amenity.
I am an outsider having moved to this great city only 5 years ago, and reflect daily on how fortunate we are to have found ourselves living in such a unique and coveted location. Brooklyn Bridge Park was an instant draw for me coming from Vancouver and having witnessed first-hand, over the past two decades, the evolution of industrial waterfront to world-class public space. Coal Harbour is now an amazingly popular park edge to an otherwise continuous urban waterfront; another exceptional segment completed along the shore line of False Creek for the 2010 Olympic Games. Unfortunately there will always be those seeking to diminish and bring-down others' hard work and happiness. New York's #Gothamist mistakes in me a "lacking in self-awareness" for what i believe is hyper-awareness of the under-valued potential and popularity of this great Park. If gladiators are synonymous with pioneers then, yes, I will gladly accept the title.
Much of Vancouver's success can be attributed to the fact that most of Vancouver's waterfront is truly publicly funded; maintained and operated by the City and the Vancouver Park Board; an elected board with exclusive possession, jurisdiction and control over public parks in the City of Vancouver. Here at Brooklyn Bridge Park, however, the current model devised to ensure the success of this amazing park relies on funding primarily provided by its residents. With a shortfall 8% of annual revenue needed to simply operate the park and a 64% shortfall in monies to cover the one time expenditure - $210 million - needed to repair and replace the pilings supporting the Parks piers Pier 6 development is more than desirable, its seemingly a necessity. My "brute arguments" lean more toward any attempts at reducing the available revenue to the Park to further the political ambitions of the City's Mayor. While I might argue this as being fiscally irresponsible it is unfortunately one of the more polarizing arguments that poises anyone questioning of this otherwise laudable goal - increasing affordable housing throughout the City - as sounding elitist and ignorant.
My children, family and many neighbours are avid users of the Park. By no means does this feel like a WASP-y enclave for New York's elite; nor do we identify ourselves as such. The majority of users of Brooklyn Bridge Park appear to represent a diversity that stretches to all corners of the borough and beyond; enriching the community and highlighting the importance the success of this public space is to the City. Unfortunately those seeking drama and the next story are drawn to bad apples like horseflies to flesh. Furthering the negative spin on our communities concerns is a plethora of commentary across our buildings internal bulletin board; often ill-informed and overtly angry at something other than the issue at hand. Fears of loss of property value and a misunderstanding of what social, work-force, and affordable housing really are have been interspersed among more legitimate concerns such as overcrowding in schools, traffic and circulation safety, as well as safety within an otherwise beyond-well-used park were all aired.
It is clear that much has changed since the Environmental Impact Assessment was executed in 2005. In the more than two years my family and I have lived at Brooklyn Bridge Park I consider myself to be an expert observer of the significance of its change. Truly a victim of its own success, the Park has confirmed and further legitimized the necessity for more public space in this borough. Fortunately most that enjoy this Park arrive on foot, bicycle, or transit. Despite this the increased flows of vehicular traffic appear dangerously beyond capacity for single lane bi-directional traffic, compounded by a 400+ stall parking garage, a transit loop, bicycle greenway, and commercial loading. July 4, 2013 I watched from my window as thousands of people brought gridlock to the neighbourhood. Drivers parked there cars three-a-breast in the one-lane one-way bus loop, locked their cars and proceeded to watch the fireworks from their hoods. The buses trying to get through that night? No idea where they went. It is also not uncommon to see a line-up of cars in the morning and evening from the garage entrance to the foot of Atlantic, impeding the orderly flow of traffic through and around the Park entrance. On weekends, bus loads of children from outside the neighbourhood add to the already congested milieu of activity throughout this end of the Park. It is rare for us to take our children to the water park now as I am certain there are more adults and children using it than is safe. The Governors Island ferry adds hundreds more people to this area, now serving as a stepping-off point, not just a destination. The development sites sit right in the middle of this multi-modal node of focused activity. People cling to what little sidewalk space exists and more frequently dawn their manicae and balteus to combat vehicles on their own turf (read asphalt). While convinced of some delicate and creative architectural solution to the building's footprints within the available space I am less certain of an effective solution that will allow those living there to get in or out.
As one of my neighbours noted "we wouldn't be having this debate if the park weren't so successful". He's right. It's not only necessary but in my experience, debate always leads to a better outcome for all.
Across the Buttermilk Channel stands Brooklyn Bridge Park; still emerging as a regional if not national success story in the world of parks and public spaces, but steeped in debate and writhing in controversy over it's recently misconstrued reputation as a "residential enclave for the wealthiest New Yorkers" . . . "going full-NIMBY and waging war over the scourge of affordable housing". Brooklyn Bridge Park has brought with it a polarizing force that pits neighbour against neighbour; fighting for laudable goals to preserve open space, and at the same time ensure its financial sustainability within a funding model that necessitates its operation as a business rather than a publicly funded common amenity.
I am an outsider having moved to this great city only 5 years ago, and reflect daily on how fortunate we are to have found ourselves living in such a unique and coveted location. Brooklyn Bridge Park was an instant draw for me coming from Vancouver and having witnessed first-hand, over the past two decades, the evolution of industrial waterfront to world-class public space. Coal Harbour is now an amazingly popular park edge to an otherwise continuous urban waterfront; another exceptional segment completed along the shore line of False Creek for the 2010 Olympic Games. Unfortunately there will always be those seeking to diminish and bring-down others' hard work and happiness. New York's #Gothamist mistakes in me a "lacking in self-awareness" for what i believe is hyper-awareness of the under-valued potential and popularity of this great Park. If gladiators are synonymous with pioneers then, yes, I will gladly accept the title.
Much of Vancouver's success can be attributed to the fact that most of Vancouver's waterfront is truly publicly funded; maintained and operated by the City and the Vancouver Park Board; an elected board with exclusive possession, jurisdiction and control over public parks in the City of Vancouver. Here at Brooklyn Bridge Park, however, the current model devised to ensure the success of this amazing park relies on funding primarily provided by its residents. With a shortfall 8% of annual revenue needed to simply operate the park and a 64% shortfall in monies to cover the one time expenditure - $210 million - needed to repair and replace the pilings supporting the Parks piers Pier 6 development is more than desirable, its seemingly a necessity. My "brute arguments" lean more toward any attempts at reducing the available revenue to the Park to further the political ambitions of the City's Mayor. While I might argue this as being fiscally irresponsible it is unfortunately one of the more polarizing arguments that poises anyone questioning of this otherwise laudable goal - increasing affordable housing throughout the City - as sounding elitist and ignorant.
My children, family and many neighbours are avid users of the Park. By no means does this feel like a WASP-y enclave for New York's elite; nor do we identify ourselves as such. The majority of users of Brooklyn Bridge Park appear to represent a diversity that stretches to all corners of the borough and beyond; enriching the community and highlighting the importance the success of this public space is to the City. Unfortunately those seeking drama and the next story are drawn to bad apples like horseflies to flesh. Furthering the negative spin on our communities concerns is a plethora of commentary across our buildings internal bulletin board; often ill-informed and overtly angry at something other than the issue at hand. Fears of loss of property value and a misunderstanding of what social, work-force, and affordable housing really are have been interspersed among more legitimate concerns such as overcrowding in schools, traffic and circulation safety, as well as safety within an otherwise beyond-well-used park were all aired.
It is clear that much has changed since the Environmental Impact Assessment was executed in 2005. In the more than two years my family and I have lived at Brooklyn Bridge Park I consider myself to be an expert observer of the significance of its change. Truly a victim of its own success, the Park has confirmed and further legitimized the necessity for more public space in this borough. Fortunately most that enjoy this Park arrive on foot, bicycle, or transit. Despite this the increased flows of vehicular traffic appear dangerously beyond capacity for single lane bi-directional traffic, compounded by a 400+ stall parking garage, a transit loop, bicycle greenway, and commercial loading. July 4, 2013 I watched from my window as thousands of people brought gridlock to the neighbourhood. Drivers parked there cars three-a-breast in the one-lane one-way bus loop, locked their cars and proceeded to watch the fireworks from their hoods. The buses trying to get through that night? No idea where they went. It is also not uncommon to see a line-up of cars in the morning and evening from the garage entrance to the foot of Atlantic, impeding the orderly flow of traffic through and around the Park entrance. On weekends, bus loads of children from outside the neighbourhood add to the already congested milieu of activity throughout this end of the Park. It is rare for us to take our children to the water park now as I am certain there are more adults and children using it than is safe. The Governors Island ferry adds hundreds more people to this area, now serving as a stepping-off point, not just a destination. The development sites sit right in the middle of this multi-modal node of focused activity. People cling to what little sidewalk space exists and more frequently dawn their manicae and balteus to combat vehicles on their own turf (read asphalt). While convinced of some delicate and creative architectural solution to the building's footprints within the available space I am less certain of an effective solution that will allow those living there to get in or out.
As one of my neighbours noted "we wouldn't be having this debate if the park weren't so successful". He's right. It's not only necessary but in my experience, debate always leads to a better outcome for all.
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| The Bus Loop (somewhere) at Pier 6 |
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