Planning for a Resilient Rockaways

The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA) partners with local residents and youth to revitalize and protect the Rockaway waterfront. The Capstone team worked with RWA to develop a comprehensive plan for the area between Beach 32nd Street and Beach 54th Street. The majority of this area has remained vacant and blighted for decades, and represents one of the last large areas of undeveloped land in New York City. The arrival of Superstorm Sandy in the fall of 2012 illustrated the region’s vulnerability to extreme natural events, and the need to reexamine traditional models of coastal development. By conducting fieldwork research, examining case studies, interviewing stakeholders, and holding a community planning charrette, the team created a plan focused on strengthening the environmental, economic, and social resilience of the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula. The plan provides RWA and the site developer with a framework of community-based and locally sensitive recommendations.