REENVISIONING THE NORTH AND WEST SHORE INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS

The NYC Department of City Planning is the city’s primary land use agency, and its Staten Island Office (DCPSI) is instrumental in shaping the built environment and economic activity in Staten Island. Competing visions and goals for the future of the borough’s North and West Shore industrial waterfronts drove DCPSI to enlist a team to help envision their preservation and modernization. The team collected and analyzed data on the existing conditions of the waterfronts; interviewed city officials, local business organizations, and community boards; conducted a literature review on industrial waterfronts and industrial district preservation; and identified case studies of other localities that have navigated tensions between industrial and economic development, sustainability and resiliency, and quality of life. The team provided a report to guide DCPSI’s decisions, outlining a potential future for the Staten Island waterfront districts that benefits residents, businesses, and workers alike.