Park_waterfronts

Dec 31, 2008
Dec 14, 2017

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Parks, Plazas & Central Squares WATERFRONTS

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

OMAHA WATERFRONT IMPROVEMENT PLAN Omaha, Nebraska (2001-Present)

Omaha

The General Services Administration (GSA) is planning a new built-to-suit office building for the National Park Service (NPS) on the Missouri riverfront in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. This is providing an opportunity for GSA and the National Park Service to work with local partners--including, the Omaha Community Foundation, the City of Omaha Parks Department, Lively Omaha, and others--to shape waterfront development. More than $1 billion of public and private investment is in progress in and around the waterfront. The immediate opportunity for these partners is to help shape a program for the new NPS facility that meets NPS needs while also supporting larger waterfront development goals. In the longer term, the opportunity is for these partners and others to work together to create a world-class waterfront for Omaha-one that is cohesive, lively, and highly desired as a workplace and destination.

On October 10, 2001, PPS led a public brainstorming workshop in Omaha. GSA and the Omaha Community Foundation sponsored the workshop. Its purpose was to help shape the program and layout of uses on the various planned developments, to gain insight into the features, orientations, and amenities that will make these developments work together as a whole. More than 100 persons from diverse parts of the community contributed to the recommendations. Client: U.S. General Services Administration, Lively Omaha.

RIVERBANK PARK Redbank, New Jersey (1998)

PPS worked with the Redbank, New Jersey community to create a vision and conceptual plan for Redbank's Riverbank Park. Located in a prominent location in the downtown area directly on the Navesink River, the park was a simple grassy lawn that was used for some large local events. However, there were many issues that kept it from being an important public space for daily use in Redbank. These issues ranged from the trees and underbrush that blocked the view of the bay, to the steep slope that prevented physical access to the water. Also, there were no amenities in the park. The PPS process resulted in a plan that was community based and supported. Today, the completed park, in keeping with the plan, contains an open lawn for events and other uses including a display garden, a food kiosk and restroom building, as well as a pedestrian walkway through the park to the bay and along the waterfront.  Client: Redbank River Center.

LIBERTY STATE PARK Jersey City, New Jersey (1997-1998)

At 1100 acres, Liberty State Park, located on the Hudson River Waterfront, is among the nation's largest urban parks. PPS advised the Liberty State Park Development Corporation on a vision for the park to take it into the 21st century while also identifying short and mid-term projects to get the ball rolling. PPS facilitated brainstorming sessions, conducted research into noteworthy examples of waterfront parks the world over, and developed a long-term concept plan and short-term actions. Client: Liberty State Park Development Corporation. HARLEM RIVER WATERFRONT ACCESS PLAN New York, NY (1997-98)

PPS worked in northern Manhattan to revitalize existing park space and create new parks, to improve public access to the Harlem River waterfront, including the Harlem River Esplanade, Sherman Creek wetlands area, and Highbridge Park.  Today these spaces - especially the esplanade and Highbridge Park - are virtually inaccessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, the north end of the Harlem River Driveway, adjacent to an elementary school, is a hazardous intersection. Working with the local community, PPS has developed traffic calming concepts for the redesign of this intersection, connecting streets to Sherman Creek, and for the Harlem River Driveway itself. The Driveway, a four-lane highway between the Harlem River Esplanade and Highbridge Park, is an obstacle to increasing use of both parks. PPS and New York Restoration Project (NYRP) studied modifications to the major intersections, access ramps, and the Driveway itself to help determine future modifications and set the stage for a future community-based plan for the revitalization of these important parks.  Funding: Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Client: NYRP. BATTERY PARK CITY PARKS New York, New York (1995-96)

PPS collaborated with the Battery Park City Parks Corporation (BPCPC) to develop a clearer understanding of the users and patterns of use in the parks in Battery Park City (BPC), overlooking the Hudson River, and to develop ideas for improvements that could be completed in the short term and the long term. PPS and BPCPC staff worked closely to collect and design instruments for data collection, to map activities and survey park visitors, to discuss issues and observations, and to develop solutions. PPS provided the BPCPC with information and materials to help them implement a series of short-term improvements to the parks in BPC, as well as ideas for longer-term strategies to help BPCPC adapt effectively to increases in park use.  Client: Battery Park City Parks Corporation.

DOWNTOWN AND WATERFRONT PARK PLAN Margaretville, New York (1993)

As part of a downtown plan, PPS held workshops with members of the Margaretville community and developed improvement plans for the downtown including the adjacent waterfront park. Plans and drawings were prepared based on the community input at the workshops. Based on the recommendations, the community formed implementation groups in areas such as traffic calming, sidewalk widening, gateway features, addition of new sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and a riverfront park. The plan was unanimously approved by the boards of Middletown and Margaretville. Implementation of the recommended improvements began in 1995. Client: The M-ARK Project.

BATTERY PARK CITY - NORTH PARK New York, New York (1989)

At the request of Community Board 1, PPS facilitated discussions between the Battery Park City Authority and the community in order to develop a plan that reflected community needs for a park that was being proposed for the northern part of Battery Park City. Client: Community Board 1, Manhattan.

COFFEY STREET PIER Brooklyn, New York (1988)

The New York City Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce retained PPS to develop program goals and urban design controls for an abandoned, city-owned pier and adjacent one-acre parcel on the Brooklyn waterfront. A primary task was to involve the local resident population in the planning process. Working with an architecture firm, PPS helped create a Task Force of city officials and local residents, which met monthly during the project. PPS explored potential economic, water-related uses of the property through surveys of waterfront businesses and through interviews with a wide range of waterfront users. PPS also addressed the community's desire to have the pier dedicated to recreational uses by developing a survey of neighborhood residents which was administered by the community and analyzed by PPS. The city incorporated PPS's recommendations into their development plan for the site. Client: New York City Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce.

TOWN LAKE PARK Austin, Texas (1986)

PPS worked with a consultant team of landscape architects, architects, hydrologists, traffic engineers, and economic planners to develop a master plan for the parklands around Austin's Town Lake and to establish guidelines for the development of adjacent public and private land. PPS studied the use made of the parklands surrounding the Lake, which is a 6?mile body of water that runs through the city. Issues studied included public access to the waterfront, pedestrian paths and circulation throughout the parklands, and density and distribution of use. Client: City of Austin.

SAN JUAN WATERFRONT San Juan, Puerto Rico (l984)

Study to improve the connection between the waterfront and the adjacent historic district of Old San Juan in order to provide tourists on cruise ships with a more direct access to the district. Conflicts between pedestrians and all modes of vehicles (buses, tourist vans, taxis) were studied at the two major cruise ship terminals where 500,000 tourists arrive each year. Concepts to enliven the waterfront promenade were also developed. Client: City of San Juan.

COLD SPRING: MAIN STREET AND WATERFRONT Cold Spring, New York (l983-84)

PPS conducted a site analysis and made design and management recommendations for improvements to the waterfront park, pier, railroad crossing and Main Street in Cold Spring, an historic Hudson River town. The recommendations for Main Street defined additional responsibilities for the local downtown revitalization organization (PROCO) and identified specific small scale projects that should be undertaken by the organization. The results of the study have been used by Cold Spring and PROCO as the rationale for implementing a variety of these small scale projects. More importantly, they have helped to define the role a private sector organization such as PROCO must have in planning efforts in Cold Spring. Funding: The J.M. Kaplan Fund, Inc., Dewitt Wallace Foundation.

EAST RIVER ESPLANADE New York City (l98l-82)

Preliminary site analysis and preparation of film on problems and opportunities of waterfront site for community board review. Client: Rose Associates.

LITTLE BAY COVE Whitestone, New York (l98l-82)

PPS studied the current use of a dramatic waterfront site in Queens. A site plan and preliminary design were developed by PPS for a public waterfront promenade, beach, and playground to be constructed with development of a major waterfront housing project. Client: Emmy Building Corporation.

RIVERWALK ESPLANADE Jacksonville, Florida (l98l)

In conjunction with Eckbo-Kay Associates and Post, Buckley, Schuh, and Jernigan, architects and planners, PPS participated in a preliminary design study for a riverfront esplanade. PPS conducted a site survey, a time-lapse film traffic study and a questionnaire of office worker preferences to determine appropriate events, activities and design elements. Funding: The City of Jacksonville, Florida.

RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY

MELBOURNE WATERFRONT Melbourne, Australia (1990)

PPS researched waterfront park and housing design for the City of Melbourne as part of their bid for the 1994 Olympics. PPS collected information from cities such as Toronto; Vancouver; Boston; New York; and Portland, Oregon. Issues evaluated included the location of existing, adjacent public and private waterfront uses, integration of housing into the neighborhood, design of ground floor uses, and types of public spaces provided. This information was used in a week-long workshop in Melbourne on waterfront housing alternatives for the proposed Olympics. Client: City of Melbourne, Olympic Bid Support Committee.

WATERFRONT RESEARCH (1986) PPS was asked by a West German public space consultant to gather information on waterfront development in the U.S. for use in a presentation to the City of Dusseldorf. Research was conducted in a number of cities, among them Boston; Dayton, OH; Duluth, MN; Miami; New York; San Francisco; and Seattle. The data focused on certain critical areas, such as adjoining site uses, historic preservation, open space, public access and recreation. The findings, which included examples of successful development projects, were summarized in a report and accompanied by slides, maps and civic promotional materials. Funding: Ms. Toni Sachs Pfeiffer.

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