While a massive redevelopment project waits to proceed, an 80-acre oceanfront site in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of New York City will host a competition to advance concepts for resilient waterfront development, reports Matt Chaban.
"The Bloomberg administration plans to use a massive 80-acre piece of oceanfront property in Far Rockaway, Queens, as a laboratory for possible solutions for the future of coastal development in the city," writes Chaban.
"The parcel of publicly owned land, known as Arverne East, will eventually be developed by a consortium of affordable housing companies. In the meantime, the city is launching a design competition to come up with new ideas for sustainable, affordable and, most importantly, resilient shoreline development, some of which might eventually be used at Averne East."
The competition, dubbed FAR ROC, is being sponsored by New York's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the AIA New York chapter, L+M Development Partners, Triangle Equities, the Bluestone Organization, and Enterprise Community Partners.
"We're always looking to Holland, looking to Europe and other places, for ideas on how to build better on the water," Ron Moelis, principal at L+M Development, said. "Here's our opportunity to have an example that the rest of the world will point to as a model for waterfront development."
The first round of entries is due by June 14.
FULL STORY: City envisions Far Rockaway as storm-resilient model

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie