The increasing recognition of waterfronts as a recreational and redevelopment asset belies its continued value for trade and industry. Will Doig makes the case for the oft-antagonized shipping industry in the tug-of-war over waterfront real estate.
Often described as a public asset, the waterfront has a way of captivating the public imagination, inviting frequent controversies over who gets to develop on it, and what.
Consider, for example, the case of two deep-water berths in Providence, Rhode Island that were sold to a metal recycling company late last year. The "battle [had] been raging in Providence for several years," Doig reports – "on one side, a developer who wanted to turn the shoreline into apartments, offices and hotels. On the other, the maritime industries that have been working there since the turn of last century." Shortly after industry won out, the complaints started rolling in: "Who put this big, ugly heap of metal on our lovely industrial port?"
Doig points out that the reality of waterfront industry stands sharply at odds with the imagined nostalgia of old-time working docks often invoked by many developers and "seen as a way to lure high-earning residents."
But while the shipping industry is soaring – "the container trade has doubled since 2000, and 2012 is expected to be another record-breaking year" – the benefit of booming real estate developments tends to be much shorter-lived. Take New Jersey's "Gold Coast," where in the 1980s, new residents lawyered the scrapyard and repair docks out of town, only for the real estate market to slump not too long thereafter.
Doig highlights a number of advantages that a working waterfront offers: high-paying, blue-collar jobs; environmentally cleaner shipping than trucks or trains; and a more diverse urban economy.
FULL STORY: On the waterfront, the battle rages on
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.