Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
With a new analytic approach to waterfront space and the incorporation of community-based planning in the process, urban planning can be used as a tool in the social and environmental justice movement for a more livable and accessible city. I will identify the benefits and challenges of an interdisciplinary approach to planning and developing waterfronts by 1) analyzing the history and past redevelopments of South Street Seaport, an essential step to understanding any urban space; 2) identifying the benefits and challenges of an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to planning and developing urban waterfronts; and 3) providing a possible explanation for why New York City’s waterfronts have not been the focus of tourism, recreation, or development and why it should be from now on. Themes of equity, access, sustainability, and education will be at the forefront throughout this analysis in the hope that New York City’s waterfront will no longer restrain New Yorkers, but will free them instead.
