Coney Island Creek
Coney Island residents deserve a creek shoreline that protects against storms, improves the environment, and improves recreation.
The Issue
In a coastal storm, the edge of Coney Island Creek is a weak point in Coney Island’s flood protection. The shoreline is also important, but degraded, habitat space, and lined with popular parks that serve residents.
A series of planning studies, community-led resilience efforts, and city and federal plans have sought to improve the shoreline to offer better protection to the neighborhood, yet the neighborhood does not yet have a clear roadmap to improvement.
Image courtesy of Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners
Our Approach
Waterfront Alliance, with funding provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, will work with Coney Island Beautification Project, NYC Parks, and NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to:
- Develop a set of goals and strategies for waterfront improvements along Coney Island Creek
- Create initial designs that identify what is possible
- Write a roadmap that guides implementation and next steps for the community and the city
We will build off the incredible community resilience planning work already underway from Coney Island Beautification Project, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium, and Cornell University, and expand on the 2016 Coney Island Creek Resiliency Study led by NYC Economic Development Corporation and the New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Study led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Designs and the roadmap will be provided to NYC Parks and NYC DEP and other partnering agencies as recommendations for future projects. Waterfront Alliance does not have the funds or jurisdiction to proceed to construction at this time.
Our Timeline
Fall 2025
- Existing Conditions and Gap Analysis
- Community Engagement Begins
Winter 2026
- Community and Agency Engagement
- Goals and Strategy Work Begins
Spring 2026
- Community and Agency Engagement
- Design Begins
Summer & Fall 2026
- Community Engagement
- Final Report
Recap: Coney Island Creek Resilience Project Public Workshop #1
Alongside Coney Island Beautification Project, we hosted our first public workshop for the Coney Island Creek Resilience Project! We welcomed 50 residents, advocates and partners all focused on the developing the resilient creek shoreline and parks that Coney Island residents deserve.
Recap: Coney Island Creek Resilience Project Public Workshop #2
Following our first public workshop on April 16, 2026, which helped identify a project site based on community priorities, we were pleased to host our second workshop at Liberation Diploma Plus High School on West 19th Street and Neptune Ave.
Waterfront Alliance Releases RFP for Coney Island Creek Resilience Project
Waterfront Alliance released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking professional engineering, planning, and landscape architecture services to develop a clear set of goals and strategies, concept designs, and an implementation roadmap for climate resilience planning along Coney Island Creek.
