For excellence in waterfront design, Greenpoint Landing and Starlight Park were honored October 31, 2017 at the Center for Architecture for achieving certification in the Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG®) program.
The award-winning WEDG program offers design guidance and a credit-based ratings system promoting resilience, ecology, and public access.
Spanning very different contexts and challenges, Greenpoint Landing, a mixed-income residential development on the East River in Brooklyn, and Starlight Park, a publicly-owned stretch of 25 acres of public space along the Bronx River, have in common a commitment to resilient design strategies that reconnect neighborhoods to their waterways.
Developed by Park Tower Group and partially complete, Greenpoint Landing will eventually include a total of 5,500 residential units (one quarter of which will be affordable housing), a new public school, and four acres of public space. The WEDG program has certified Phase one of the development (7.5 acres of the 20-acre project), awarding points for new access to the shoreline and addressing sea level rise with terraced promenades and landscaping, as well as incorporating new FEMA flood regulations and flood protection strategies into its construction. Phase one was developed in a joint venture with Brookfield Property Partners, with 300 units of affordable housing developed in a joint venture with L&M Development Partners. The project design team for Phase I includes James Corner Field Operations, Handel Architects, and McLaren Engineering Group.
“We are thrilled to be unlocking this stretch of waterfront for the Greenpoint community to enjoy for the first time, working closely with James Corner Field Operations to make it not just a beautiful new public open space but highly resilient and sustainable. To be certified by the WEDG program is an incredible distinction for the Greenpoint Landing project, and highlights many of the efforts we made to ensure a safe, resilient, and accessible edge,” said Park Tower Group’s Marian Klein Feldt.
“Brookfield is proud to partner with Park Tower Group to create the first two waterfront buildings at Greenpoint Landing, a project that not only will transform a large stretch of Brooklyn shoreline with new housing and open space but also one that will serve as a model for waterfront resiliency and design,” said Maria Masi, Vice President for Development at Brookfield Property Partners. “We want Greenpoint Landing to meet the highest levels of design and sustainability, and the Waterfront Alliance’s WEDG certification is the latest affirmation that we are achieving that goal.”
“Our infrastructure should reflect our community values and always look forward to the challenges ahead,” said New York City Council Member Stephen Levin. “Greenpoint Landing has proven function and innovation are not mutually exclusive. If we are to preserve our environment for future generations we must take advantage of every opportunity. The standards set by the Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines Certification to encourage public access and resiliency are laudable. It is my hope future projects are similarly committed to these values.”
“We commend the Greenpoint Landing team for their major contribution to New York City’s waterfront greenway system, while embracing and advancing this new innovative model for coastal resiliency,” said Brian McCormick, co-founder of Brooklyn Greenway Initiative.
“OSA congratulates Greenpoint Landing and James Corner Field Operations! We applaud them for being so responsive to climate change along the Brooklyn waterfront. Their design is a model for future waterfront projects. We are pleased to work in partnership with Greenpoint Landing and NYC Parks to improve the environment, increase equity, and promote resilience and sustainability,” said Joe Mayock, executive director of Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA).
View the Greenpoint Landing case study.
Miles away, Starlight Park is a 25-acre green space along the Bronx River that has been in development for many years, with various civic organizations and city and state agencies all contributing to the final plan, and a multi-year negotiation regarding the construction of a pedestrian bridge over train tracks. The New York State Department of Transportation, Bronx River Alliance, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Design and Construction, and others worked with a design team including NV5, Starr Whitehouse, Kiss + Cathcart, WSP, and Hardesty & Hanover. Phase one, comprising 13 acres, was completed in 2013, and the second phase is currently in construction. With new green space, a new bridge, and floating docks, Starlight Park expands public access to the Bronx River on both sides and adds a critical link to a 23-mile bike and pedestrian route through the Bronx and Westchester. Along the banks of the river, the project features two acres of wetlands restoration and natural edge stabilization methods. Upland vacant space overrun with invasive species has been replanted with native plants, from wildflower habitat to forest.
“We are so pleased that Starlight Park has achieved an excellent rating in the rigorous WEDG certification process,” said Maggie Scott Greenfield, Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance. “This is worthy recognition of the hard work by so many public and private partners to make the Bronx River shoreline more accessible for Bronx communities, more ecologically valuable for wildlife and more resilient in the face of a changing climate. We look forward to sharing lessons learned on this project with others.”
“The expansion of Starlight Park is an incredible addition to our community, expanding access across both sides of the Bronx River,” said William Rivera, Bronx Community Board 9 District Manager. “WEDG certification confirms what our residents already know about this project – it is resilient, accessible, and improves the ecology of the Bronx River shoreline.”
View the Starlight Park case study.
Check out photos of the event here!
WEDG launched in New York City in 2015, developed by a cross-cutting field of experts convened by the Waterfront Alliance to provide better guidance amid a complex regulatory environment and the threats of climate change and coastal storms. Other certified projects include Brooklyn Bridge Park, Domino Sugar, Hunters Point South, Sandy Hook Pilots Association, and Sunset Park Materials Recycling Facility. The WEDG program is currently undergoing revision for a national roll-out in 2018.
