Little Island came into the world as Pier 55 and even managed to come back from the dead before opening last week.

Little Island, the splashy park referred to as Pier 55 when originally conceived in 2014, has opened in New York City. The park concept weathered controversy and managed to come back from the dead.
The park, located on a pier in the Hudson River near 13th Street in Hudson River park, is the brainchild of Barry Diller, who first proposed the project in 2014 as a replacement for Pier 54. The $260 million, 2.4-acre park overcame several lawsuits, and was declared dead by the New York Times even after being granted final approval. Eventually, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo helped rescue the project. Thomas Heatherwick designed the park, adding to a Manhattan-based oeuvre that includes the Vessel in Hudson Yards.

Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic for the same New York Times, provides a feature-style write up of the new park on the day of its opening, describing it as the "architectural equivalent of a kitchen sink sundae, with a little bit of everything." The article includes a ton of photos—including images of the park from outside and above as well as images of the park from the park, with views of Manhattan in the background.
Kimmelman digs into the design and engineering details of the park, which have mostly remained intact since the original conception. Kimmelman notes, however, that the final project includes additional protections for wildlife habitats and other improvements wrought from the earlier lawsuits and controversies. The result, declares Kimmelman, is a win-win for the city.
An additional article by Diane Pham for Urbanize New York includes more development and design details about the project.
FULL STORY: A New $260 Million Park Floats on the Hudson. It’s a Charmer.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

‘It’s Been 50 years’: Bill to Update Public Transit Law Awaits Governor’s Signature
Legislation would fix transportation district issue, allow for greater reach on city bus routes.

Lakewood Celebrates Arbor Day and Strengthens Urban Forestry Legacy
Lakewood celebrated Arbor Day and its 43rd year as a Tree City USA community with a youth-led tree planting event at O’Kane Park, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to urban forestry and environmental education.

NYC Congestion Pricing Continues to Show Positive Results
While the Trump administration attempts to revoke the program’s federal approval, congestion pricing continues to reduce traffic, speed up bus travel times, and improve air quality in Manhattan.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions