By the Numbers
$250M
The amount committed to add quality open space in Inwood, East Harlem, Harlem, and East Midtown.
The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is an important open space resource for the city, providing access to the shoreline for a variety of activities, integrating larger parks within a connected network, and providing a bike path for recreation and commuting. This is an opportunity to create public open space, providing residents in some of Manhattan’s most densely populated neighborhoods with improved access to the city’s waterfront. When complete, the 32.5-mile Greenway loop will connect a network of green spaces totaling more than 1,000 acres—a space larger than Central Park—running continuously around the entire island. Joggers, walkers, cyclists, and people of varying ages and abilities from every neighborhood should have access to the Greenway that is designed within the context of each unique neighborhood.
The amount committed to add quality open space in Inwood, East Harlem, Harlem, and East Midtown.
Mayor de Blasio has made historic investments—more than any other mayoral administration—to jump-start closing the loop, committing more than $250M to add 15 acres of quality open space that integrates the Greenway into Inwood, East Harlem, Harlem, and East Midtown. Most of these gaps are in low-income neighborhoods historically cut off from the waterfront.
Five sites are true gaps and two are existing paths in need of significant upgrades. Manhattan’s geography and historical land uses have made completion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway challenging. Consideration of sea level rise and valuable habitats also demand that we are creative and resilient in our future Greenway designs. Each location has its own unique needs.
Each section of Greenway is designed for the neighborhood it serves, offering unprecedented access to the water and to the rest of Manhattan.
The grand vision of “closing the loop” is guided by four principles:
The following provides a view into what a completed Greenway might look like, with recommendations for all seven sites. As the projects advance, there will be ongoing public engagement in all phases of design and development.