A far-fetched proposal for Seaport City - a new landfill neighborhood on the East Side of lower Manhattan - is one step closer to reality with New York City's release of a request for proposals to study the idea.
"Despite concerns about the feasibility of building a new community on the East River to protect lower Manhattan from future storms and rising sea levels, the Bloomberg administration is forging ahead with the idea," reports Matt Chaban. "Wednesday the mayor announced a request for proposals from architects, planners and developers to come up with schemes to shield 1.5 miles of downtown's waterfront, which remains vulnerable to future disasters."
The idea for Seaport City is reminiscent of the LoLo concept proposed by Columbia University's Center for Urban Real Estate in 2011 and is inspired by the creation of Battery Park City.
"The request for proposals is a feasibility exercise more than a planning or development one, asking respondents to tackle questions of how to build a massive levee along this 1.5-mile stretch of waterfront, upon which development could someday rise," notes Chaban. "Issues of environmental impact, technical specifications, legal jurisdictions and, above all, financial costs are among the myriad topics to be outlined."
FULL STORY: Bloomberg gets serious about Seaport City
Proposal Dreams of New York Development Connecting Island to Mainland
The Center for Urban Real Estate unveiled a proposal to connect Lower Manhattan and Governors Island with landfill to spur development in the area. The connection would generate $16.7 billion of revenue for the city, the center estimates.
Transforming Landfills into Parks
Learn about eleven landfills that have been transformed into beautiful outdoor recreation spaces.
Opinion: One Solution to Manhattan's Land Shortage: Just Build It
A New York Times op-ed calls on the city to add landfill development on Manhattan's southern shoreline, claiming it would increase affordability and protect the city from rising sea levels.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie