Places. 286 Regional Plan Association The Fourth Regional Plan

Transcription

1 Th policy rcommndations of this plan will transform communitis across th rgion. But diffrnt placs hav diffrnt nds and diffrnt aspirations, and som placs rprsnt particular opportunitis to achiv significant, positiv chang. Placs 286 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

2 Flagships Placs Jamaica / 288 Th Far Wst Sid / 292 Triboro Lin / 296 Subrgions Bridgport / 300 Cntral Nassau / 304 Nwburgh / 308 Madowlands / 312 Patrson / 316 Th Innr Long Island Sound / 320 Nw York City / 324 Long Island City / 326 Flushing / 326 East Bronx / 327 Nw Jrsy / 328 Nwark / 329 Trnton / 329 Rout 23 / 330 Long Island / 331 Ronkonkoma / 332 Rt. 110 / 332 Hicksvill / 333 Conncticut / 334 Stamford / 335 Norwalk / 335 Nw Havn / 336 Rout 8 / 337 Mid-Hudson / 338 Nw Rochll, Yonkrs, and Mount Vrnon / 339 Wstchstr-Rockland I-287 Corridor / 339 Northast Corridor / 340 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 287

3 Flagship Plac Jamaica A businss and cultural hub with tis to nighboring communitis and JFK airport 288 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

4 n ow nt w o y y D wa f i a ns k t oc In r R Fa d r K d sto JF z t r a ali o y n t s i d a B ay t ow v rri n nt ca r or ict co nw ica Va p w u a n r i r r i st o d a m a D m or w i t n Ja gr ig rrid us rt d Ja N s d b d co Ro ppo lan In R yck su W It s 2040, and aftr yars of dvlopmnt Jamaica is a thriving rgional downtown with bustling, multicultural nighborhoods that hav maintaind affordability whil xpanding th conomy in sync with th growth of narby John F. Knndy Intrnational Airport. rs n io ct du ro /p ct s c sti du gi u Lo Aq at As a rgional downtown, Jamaica has much to offr. It is a cultural hub with thatrs and dining options as wll as shopping that attracts rsidnts and visitors from both th rgion and around th world. Travling on th Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) from Jamaica to downtown Brooklyn is fast and asy with a nw rgional rail srvic that hlps many city mploys gt to work. Nw hotls attract intrnational travlrs from JFK, who prfr Jamaica s rasonabl rats to thos of th mor xpnsiv Manhattan. During th day, local rstaurants srv food from all ovr th glob to th many popl who work narby, including airport workrs and mploys of light-manufacturing businsss. Nw trminals and runways at JFK allow th facility to handl narly twic as many popl 59 million passngrs in 2016 and mor goods than vr bfor coming through th airport. Thousands of back-offic airlin jobs, concssions, and othr aviation-rlatd or -dpndnt workrs hav offics in Jamaica, a short walk from Social Scurity Administration offics and civil courts in th ara. Thr has bn Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 289

5 rdvlopmnt in industrial aras outsid th airport primtr, and th formr Aquduct Ractrack has bn rdvlopd as a stat-of-th-art goods-distribution hub with light industry, lvraging JFK s rol as a global gatway. A nw park th Qunsway runs on a formr abandond rail lin from Rgo Park to just north of Atlantic Avnu. Rdsignd downtown strts hav bik lans and pdstrian grnways, whil nw pdstrian connctions and activitis link th north and south sids of th Long Island viaduct. Jamaica has maintaind its divrsity and social cohsion through anti-displacmnt masurs, and its affordability by focusing largr-scal dvlopmnts around th train station and slctd major strts, with smallr, rsidntial buildings on local strts. Th community rmains largly non-whit, and truly mixdincom, with nw mploymnt offring local rsidnts additional job opportunitis. Why it happnd Jamaica has always had a numbr of advantags. It is locatd at th nxus of rich rail transportation infrastructur and th Nw York rgion s largst airport, as wll as long-trm anchor institutions lik York Collg. Strong communitydvlopmnt organizations, arts-rlatd fstivals and prformancs, and th multi-cultural Jamaica Markt add to th uniqu charactr and strt lif of th ara. But for yars, downtown Jamaica laggd with rspct to ky quity indicators. Thr was a nd to lift th ovrall quality of lif by crating bttr jobs for its rsidnts, incrasing th availability of affordabl housing, and improving traffic and congstion. How it happnd Rvrsing yars of limitd growth, Jamaica startd to s an uptick in dvlopmnt at th turn of th cntury. By 2017, mor than $1 billion in public and privat invstmnts had bn mad. Ld by th Gratr Jamaica Dvlopmnt Corporation and partnrs, a mix of city and stat agncis and nonprofit planning groups ddicatd rsourcs to hlp rvitaliz th ara. Ths includd th Jamaica NOW Action Plan, Rgional Plan Association s Downtown Jamaica: Gatway to th Nw York Rgion, and Nw York Stat s $10 million conomic dvlopmnt invstmnt in Anti-displacmnt protctions, including anti-harassmnt protctions for rsidnts and small businsss put in plac soon aftr, protctd th most vulnrabl lowr-incom housholds, whil mor mixd-incom housing was constructd. Nw offics and hotls opnd, and thn complmntd by a wid rang of rtail stablishmnts and rstaurants, primarily locatd along Jamaica Avnu and Sutphin Boulvard, and abov th subway stations. Th ara nar th AirTrain station startd to bcom a thriving mixd commrcial and offic district, and mor airport-rlatd offic jobs cam to buildings narby. An xtnsion of th LaGuardia Airtrain from Flushing Madows down th Van Wyck to Jamaica was considrd, in ordr to connct it to th nw airportrlatd hub as wll as provid a dirct link btwn th two airports. Th 165 th Strt bus trminal was rdsignd as a modrn mixd-us multi-modal facility with subtrranan connctions to th E, F, J, and Z subway lins. Downtown Jamaica built on its strong cultural foundation as hom to th Jamaica Cntr for Arts and Larning, King Manor Musum, th Cntral Library of th Quns Library systm, and th Jamaica YMCA to attract nw arts-rlatd fstivals and vnts. Th MTA s transformation of its commutr rail lins into a mor intgratd and affordabl rgional rail systm gratly improvd accss btwn Jamaica and all major mploymnt cntrs and communitis in southast Quns. Th opning of East Sid Accss providd a dirct connction to Grand Cntral Trminal via commutr rail, and nw on-sat rid transit srvic connctd JFK to downtown Brooklyn and all major dstinations in Manhattan. This nw srvic, th Trans-Rgional Exprss, mad JFK accssibl from all cornrs of th rgion. Th hotl at th TWA Trminal bcam popular with Nw Yorkrs and visitors alik, providing confrnc and vnt spac. Th airport was hardnd to addrss sa-lvl ris and storm surgs, just as othr airports in th rgion addrssd th ffcts of climat chang. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Rgional downtowns in th tri-stat ara can b dvlopd until thy thriv, provid good jobs and affordabl communitis with policis that promot mixd-us dvlopmnt nar transit srvics, maintain nighborhood divrsity, and improv th ovrall quality of lif with saf strts and grn spacs. An inclusiv planning procss taks tim, but hlps craft a vision that has strong local and rgional support. Nw rgional rail ntworks can crat bttr connctions to mor job opportunitis, and aras around airports can hlp support airport growth whil srving as dstinations thmslvs. 290 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

6 Rlvant plan rcommndations 19. Combin thr commutr rail systms into on ntwork 21. Modrniz and rfurbish Nw York City s subway stations 23. On city strts, prioritiz popl ovr cars 28. Expand and rdsign Knndy and Nwark airports 46. Protct low-incom rsidnts from displacmnt and homlssnss 50. Build affordabl housing in all communitis across th rgion 54. Rstor rgional job cntrs Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 291

7 Flagship Plac Th Far Wst Sid A nw anchor for th rgion s cor 292 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

8 t n m op l v to ail r D st s or Ea Yard rid r y Co wa d t si NE Ga nny Su t n n io m Stat p lo n v n d w P nd sa an k d r Pa oun ar n rk io t al Pa ct tric in ts t u o m i t n s d r i s o o av or rfr pr nt D s t r J d u i t b l rr a us m d al co W d- ar on sm w int c x G i M th N sil S low in r b It s 2040, and Manhattan s Far Wst Sid is a dynamic commrcial and rsidntial district strtching from midtown to th Hudson Rivr and anchord by a rvitalizd Pnn Station complx. This onc rmot industrial frontir of th city has bn transformd. A modrn mixd-us dvlopmnt around Pnn Station provids commrcial offic spac and amnitis for workrs and rsidnts, all rachabl by pdstrian walkways samlssly intgratd into Midtown. In narby Hudson Yards, which faturs vibrant contmporary architctur, rsidnts can tak advantag of rivrfront activitis and accss to all th city offrs. Through prsrvation fforts and strict dsign guidlins, a divrs mix of building typs and original housing stock was maintaind, adding to th ara s distinctiv charactr vn with th addition of thousands of nw jobs and rsidnts. Th Far Wst Sid is not only a transportation hub, but also an intgratd city landscap that srvs many purposs for rsidnts and visitors alik. Why it happnd For mor than half a cntury ago, city plannrs struggld to formulat a cohsiv vision for th Far Wst Sid. Important invstmnts wr mad, including nw offics and homs ovr Hudson Yards and th xtnsion of th #7 subway lin. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 293

9 But a fundamntal obstacl rmaind: th largr district was composd of ovrsizd suprblocks, and th ara was disconnctd from th rst of th city. Pnn Station, a critical transit link for th city and th rgion, was aging and dysfunctional and surroundd by qually unappaling strts. Th Port Authority bus trminal was dtriorating and wll ovr capacity. Just to th north was th Garmnt District, hom to a lgacy industry but which struggld with rising rnts and a changing marktplac that rsultd in 1.7 million squar ft of vacant floor spac. How It happnd Th district s failing infrastructur was ithr rmovd or rdsignd, including th lvatd ramps to th Port Authority Bus Trminal and th cuts for th Lincoln Tunnl approachs. A nw bus trminal bnath th Javits Convntion Cntr consolidatd intrcity bus srvic into Manhattan and rducd bus ovrflow onto strts, whil also shortning th commut for offic workrs in th growing Hudson Yards district. With bus traffic rducd by narly 30 prcnt, th old Port Authority Bus Trminal was rfurbishd with mor commutr bus gats on th ground lvl, providing bttr accss to subway lins and strts that wr clard of ovrhad ramps. A nw district also took root around Pnn Station. Madison Squar Gardn, onc locatd abov Pnn Station, was rlocatd, with its circular stl fram rpurposd to nabl light and air to stram down into th station. Th platforms had bn frd of hundrds of columns that usd to support th arna. To mak th ara mor conduciv for shopping, dining, and ntrtainmnt, many strts around th station wr closd off to bcom pdstrian walkways, and a livly public spac was cratd along Svnth Avnu. This is also th grand ntranc to th station, which in 2040, srvs som on million daily ridrs. Nw scalators and widnd stairs allow commutrs and travlrs to asily accss th station from th sidwalk. And travllrs ar abl to mak through-running trips by conncting to Amtrak s nw High- Spd Rail or a Rgional Exprss train. Ridrs ar now abl to us nw through-running srvic to rach dstinations byond Manhattan. A profssor from Cornll Tchnion is in th compltd Moynihan Station waiting room about to board a High-Spd Rail Amtrak train to Boston; a commutr from Quns is staying on a Rgional Exprss train to a nw job in Patrson; and a car nthusiast is sitting on a train hadd for Sunnysid Yards, whr th rlocatd Javits Convntion Cntr is hosting th annual Zro-Carbon Drivrlss Car Expo. Ths nw throughrunning trips ar possibl bcaus of Gatway East, two nw East Rivr tubs to Sunnysid Yards, and conncting tunnls along 31 st Strt, which wr built aftr th nw Gatway Tunnls, as part of th Pnn South projct. Th Garmnt Cntr was rmad into a 21 st cntury production district. Th city fundd th consolidation of garmnt manufacturing into prmanntly rsrvd spac in th lowr floors of th old loft factoris, which now hous manufacturing activitis of all kinds, whil startups and dsign firms hav offics on th uppr floors, along with rsidnts. All across th Far Wst Sid, nighborhoods and signatur opn spacs th High Lin, Hudson Yards, nw plazas around Pnn Station, and pockt parks ovr th Lincoln Tunnl accss roads wr connctd by walkabl and bikabl strts. Cross strts that onc blockd th Convntion Cntr wr xtndd to a nw watrfront park, which was widnd from a narrow strip of grnway to a rolling landscap that holds back th raisd watrs of th Hudson. At th nw watr s dg ar wtlands, nw walls, and pirs for frry trminals and rcrational activitis. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd This transformation of th Far Wst Sid was only possibl bcaus th agncis rsponsibl for infrastructur and dvlopmnt bgan to collaborat, and rcognizd thy shard a common goal of bringing prosprity and rsilinc to th ara. A spcial-purpos authority dlivrd th nw Pnn Station and rail tunnls on tim and on budgt. Rstructuring at both th Port Authority and th MTA nabld both trains and buss to oprat rliably vn as major construction was undrway, and facilitatd coordination btwn Nw York City, Nw York Stat, and Nw Jrsy. Th cration of th Far Wst Sid showd that Nw York City rmaind committd to housing affordability and conomic opportunity. It prsrvd xisting apartmnt buildings and ncouragd a divrs conomy of manufacturing and offic mployrs in th Garmnt District, whil commrcial offic spac and rsidntial towrs wr built nar Pnn Station. Nw transit connctions supportd a rciprocal and mutually bnficial rlationship btwn Nw York City and th constllation of othr citis in th rgion, which bcam cntrs of prosprity in thir own right. At th sam tim, th city mt th challng of climat chang on th vulnrabl Far Wst Sid by building nw kinds of parks and public spacs at th watr s dg, protctd from sa-lvl ris. 294 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

10 Rlvant plan rcommndations 16. Build a scond bus trminal undr th Javits Convntion Cntr 18. Expand, ovrhaul, and unify th Pnn Station Complx 23. On city strts, prioritiz popl ovr cars 40. Upgrad infrastructur to high standards of rsilinc 48. Rmov barrirs to transit-orintd and mixd-us dvlopmnt 53. Maintain a globally comptitiv rgional businss district 61. Expand and improv public spac in th urban cor Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 295

11 Flagship Plac Triboro Lin A nw transit link for th boroughs 296 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

12 at s s d ng o or t n rrid alo n y o t wa ou pm c n ro r lo ting r v c G ibo D nn Tr co It s 2040, and Nw York City s Triboro Lin 24 mils of onc abandond railway tracks strtching from Sunst Park in Brooklyn to Co-op City in th Bronx has bcom a vital part of th urban transit systm for 100,000 daily ridrs, a catalyst for conomic growth, and a plac for rcrational activitis. ng lo ors nd a t rrid s a ll n t o nfi pm ng c str al i o l i n u v ct xt D nn Gr nt co co Onc hiddn blow strt lvl and bhind trs, th rail lins of th Triboro now fficintly link popl and goods moving btwn Brooklyn, Quns, and th Bronx all without going through Manhattan. Travl tims along th rout hav bn rducd, with srvic vry fiv to 15 minuts, nabling a passngr from Parkchstr, in th Bronx, to gt to hr houskping job in Astoria and hom in tim to pick up hr child at daycar. Nw manufacturing businsss ar thriving in Ridgwood Quns, and fright dlivris arriv on tim from a Hunts Point food distributor to a customr in East Nw York, a dlivry that prviously wnt by truck. All along th rout, cyclists and pdstrians njoy a car-fr grnway and nw parks, whil th ldrly and disabld asily accss trains. Why it happnd Th Triboro Lin was a valuabl asst waiting to b dvlopd. It covrs 80 squar mils in ara with a population of 2.6 million popl, on of th most divrs communitis in th city, and a larg aging population. It intrscts with 17 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 297

13 subway lins and four commutr trains. Bfor th Triboro, commut tims wr oftn long, and accss to rliabl transportation inconvnint, spcially for thos who didn t commut to Manhattan. Whn it was built, narly 60 prcnt of housholds in th Bronx and Brooklyn, and 36 prcnt in Quns, did not own cars, making th Triboro a critical link to gt to work or school, and for rcration. Ths challngs will only grow as NYC jobs grow. Fifty prcnt of NYC s job growth has occurrd outsid of Manhattan in th last 15 yars, and that s only projctd to continu. How it happnd Th Triboro Lin took som tim to build, but cost lss than $2 billion, lss than othr projcts lik th Scond Avnu subway. Nw signals and track wr addd, and a fw nw substations, as wll as a complmntary ntwork of urban grnways and opn spacs. Th xisting track was ithr raisd, sunkn, or dckd, and conncting bridgs and tunnls wr built to improv accss to stations. Th rail right-of-way is now intact and fully grad-sparatd, which rquird structural improvmnts. Th lin was built in a way that protctd xisting rsidnts and businsss. Lgal protctions against displacmnt startd in East Nw York, and xtndd throughout th corridor, nabling many familis to rmain in thir homs. Nw stations wr dsignd around cntrs of activity: a rvitalizd industrial district in Sunst Park, an xpandd collg campus abov th lin nar Brooklyn Collg, an xpandd mixd-incom nighborhood in East Nw York, a nw intrmodal mixd-us nod nar Quns Boulvard, and a rgional goods-distribution hub in Hunts Point. Most of this dvlopmnt was incrmntal and carrid out with clos community coopration, rathr than larg dvlopmnt proposals that transformd larg aras at onc. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Th Triboro did mor than just improv rgional mobility. It also addrssd inquitis in th transit systm, gav mor popl accss to jobs, cratd opportunitis for affordabl housing, improvd public halth in an ara with high rats of obsity and asthma, and mad th transportation ntwork mor rsilint to storms, flooding, and othr disruptions. Th Triboro Lin brought workplacs closr to th workforc, particularly for conomic sctors not traditionally cntrd in Manhattan, such as ducation, halth car, logistics, manufacturing, and food. Dsignd for an oldr and mor divrs population, th nw transit option has shown how a city can mt a citiznry s volving nds and capitaliz on its xisting assts. Rlvant plan rcommndations 24. Improv bus srvic, and introduc nw light rail and strtcar lins 39. Crat a tri-stat trail ntwork 46. Protct low-incom rsidnts from displacmnt 47. Strngthn and nforc fair housing laws 48. Rmov barrirs to transit-orintd and mixd-us dvlopmnt 60. Expand halthy, affordabl food accss in th rgion Som 9,000 acrs of govrnmnt-ownd land wr rdvlopd as opn spacs, and nw businsss fundd vocational training programs linkd dirctly to small-scal manufacturing. As in othr major citis (s Chicago Mtra xampl), th Triboro Lin was built to accommodat both passngrs and fright. Th movmnt of food into NYC followd projctions, and incrasd 61 prcnt by 2035, following a dramatic ris in population growth. With th Triboro fright connction, congstion and truck traffic in Hunts Point has bn rducd and th clanr air has ld to lowr asthma rats. 298 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

14 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 299

15 Flagship Plac Bridgport A grn and halthy city along th Northast Corridor 300 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

16 ty r k rsi rtn ar v p a i ial Un y p rt nit str o u u p d in g m oid com r c E B a as d g a rk s R p nt ili wn th ds to s u n s w So o us acc d orho do o u t d liz hb in n liz nt rfro ita ig a o v t C at vi R d n w R En w n at ion d at no St D m TO arnu B d u plt n Av Com w i tor av nc S on C It s 2040, and th city of Bridgport is flourishing again as th cntr of a nw grn conomy in Conncticut. This coastal city is aliv with ntrprnurial activity. At th Lak Succss co-businss park, innovativ urban agricultur is producing food for school caftrias and downtown rstaurants. A long-tim rsidnt of th South End who livs in a prmanntly affordabl hom has a job with a living wag at th Univrsity of Bridgport. A doctor from a narby town travls by train to th nw Barnum Station to work at Bridgport Hospital. Across th city, rsidnts njoy clan air and abundant parks, paths along Long Island Sound, and th Tri-Stat Trail Ntwork, which conncts th city to transit, natur, and nighboring towns. Young familis hav accss to quality childcar and schools, and oldr rsidnts ar connctd to srvics that lt thm ag in plac. Why it happnd Bridgport had a strong lgacy as a cntr of commrc and industry, but lik so many similar citis across th country, languishd in th post-industrial ra. From th lat 19th cntury through World War II, Bridgport producd machinry, Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 301

17 garmnts, and munitions and was th hadquartrs for many national corporations including Dupont, Gnral Elctric, Rmington Arms, and Rmington Shavr. Aftr World War II, th jobs that powrd Bridgport s conomy disappard as production dclind. In th middl of last cntury, Bridgport lost jobs and popl as thos who wr abl to lav for th suburbs - primarily th city s whit population- abandond th city. This xodus, fuld by th GI Bill, xcludd black rsidnts who wr rfusd loans for mortgags and wr not allowd to purchas homs in narby suburban towns through rdlining and string practics. Th rsulting racial sgrgation, loss of jobs and tax rvnu, and brownfild contamination lft littl rmaining conomic opportunity for Bridgport rsidnts. Th city struggld to find its footing, and as proprty valus dclind, proprty taxs soard. How it happnd Th tid turnd for Bridgport arly in th 21 st cntury with land rclamation. Many hazardous sits including th infamous landfill dubbd Mt. Trashmor wr cland up. Plasur Bach was ropnd to rsidnts and visitors, and a $500 million fdral grant supportd rsilint infrastructur invstmnts in th South End to hlp control flooding. Coalpowrd lctricity was convrtd to gas, and th rd and whit smokstacks standing bsid I-95 no longr pollutd th air. As rdvlopmnt continud ovr th nxt fw dcads, Bridgport activly workd to corrct nvironmntal injustic and pursu sustainability. Th East End, onc dominatd by brownfilds and vacant lots, bcam a rgional mploymnt cntr with th nw Barnum rail station along th Northast Corridor, a thriving Bridgport Hospital, and an innovation hub for biotch companis. Th Echo Tchnology Park, dvlopd on rclaimd industrial land in th Wst End, grw into Conncticut s prmir location for sustainabl industrial practics, including district hating and cooling. Commuting tims to Nw York City and Hartford by rail wr substantially rducd with fficint rgional rail srvic. Highway commuting tims also dcrasd with congstion pricing on I-95 and mor popl using fastr and mor rliabl train and bus srvic. Th transformation of Bridgport wasn t asy. Ovr tim, th City of Bridgport bcam a strong partnr with its rsidnts, businsss ownrs and community dvlopmnt organizations, and working togthr thy movd th city forward. Visionary and divrs local ladrs bcam mor activly ngagd in planning and dcision-making alongsid long-tim community advocats. Bridgport s highr ducation and halthcar institutions bcam strongr nighborhood anchors through training and hiring local rsidnts, hlping to crat and support local purchasing supply chains and invsting in affordabl housing and nighborhood infrastructur. With stat rforms and incntivs for intr-municipal collaboration and shard srvics, proprty taxs in th city startd to dclin and ar now on par with nighboring suburban towns. Th rgion is lss sgrgatd by rac, thnicity and incom and th achivmnt gap btwn low incom and afflunt studnts has narrowd. School prformanc in Bridgport is now high and strong partnrships btwn anchor institutions and local companis ar providing asily accssibl carr pathways to studnts. Substandard, unhalthy housing has bn rplacd with nw, affordabl homs in walkabl, mixd-incom, and divrs nighborhoods. Downtown is a vibrant, walkabl, liv/ work hub for th rgion s crativ ntrprnurs who tak advantag of fast, rliabl, local train and bus srvic. Old and nw rsidnts in Bridgport ar abl to liv comfortably without owning a car. Stlpoint Harbor has volvd into a mixd-us watrfront, attracting rsidnts and visitors from throughout th rgion, and th Saviw Avnu connctor is a thriving complt strt corridor linking th Bridgport watrfront and I-95 to th Naugatuck Vally. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Bridgport is a modl for how to transform onc struggling small industrial citis in th tri-stat ara. Invstmnt in rdvlopmnt and sound urban policis allowd Bridgport, and othr citis lik it in th rgion, to bcom cntrs of conomic growth with a talntd workforc and attractiv proprtis just as Nw York City bcam too xpnsiv. This urban rsurgnc took plac without th displacmnt of longtim rsidnts. Th xact formula was diffrnt in ach plac, taking advantag of uniqu assts and circumstancs. But th lmnts wr similar: committd, sustaind ladrship from govrnmnt, businss, and civic groups and anchor institutions; a strong partnrship with local rsidnts and maningful community ngagmnt in planning and dvlopmnt dcision making; collaboration with th stat and nighboring towns; catalytic invstmnts in transportation and rsilint infrastructur; proprty tax rforms that rducd rlianc on local proprty taxs to fund local srvics; and rsourcs and incntivs that ncouragd school district consolidation and intgration. 302 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

18 Rlvant plan rcommndations 9. Rduc rlianc on local proprty taxs 10. Crat rgional school districts and srvics 12. Mak th planning and dvlopmnt procss mor inclusiv, prdictabl, and fficint 19. Combin thr commutr rail systms into on ntwork 40. Upgrad infrastructur to high standards of rsilinc 46. Protct low-incom rsidnts from displacmnt and homlssnss 54. Rstor rgional job cntrs 56. Promot partnrships btwn anchor institutions and local communitis Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 303

19 Flagship Plac Cntral Nassau Nw transit links for a divrs suburb 304 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

20 to ns s it o rv c s nn r Co tur na m ro ad t f st n n li mp to t m i ad r p on Hub ns t H o i l t st a s n u p tr s n v a c d xt ss b m pi W dd jo n H t Na ra a to m i t to d o s w l c n n d d r ow N ino t it -in Ori to wnt tra plt r s d d M x itr do pi m nv ns Mi ans Ra co co tra in l r i T th ra pid vy r ra a H uit q It s 2040, and cntral Nassau County has bcom a modl suburb with affordabl housing, good schools, and a strong sns of community. rs do s ri ac cor p s n n r op w g d k n Lin at cr Nw rail connctions link th Long Island Rail Road s Oystr Bay and Wst Hmpstad Branch Lins, and th onc sparatd North Shor and South Shors ar connctd via a quitr rapid transit srvic that rplacd noisy rail lins. Improvd transportation and strtscaps nlivn th nw mixd-us downtowns along th rout, whil rsidntial nighborhoods ar quitr and safr for walkrs and bikrs. This nw connctivity and conomic dvlopmnt supports what is now a tru cntr for Nassau County, including a major offic, rsarch, ntrtainmnt and govrnmnt hub from Minola to Wst Hmpstad. Mor popl us shard, on-dmand and autonomous vhicls, as wll as shard parking and biks, and th strts ar safr and mor pdstrian frindly. Prviously sgrgatd aras on Long Island ar now a collction of nighborhoods with high quality, affordabl housing and schools availabl for vryon, rgardlss of rac, ag or incom. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 305

21 Why it happnd In th first part of th 21 st cntury Long Island was a typical Amrican suburb, dpndnt on cars using congstd highways to commut. At th gographical cntr of Nassau County, th Villag of Hmpstad, was a significant mploymnt cntr and dirctly north of Hmpstad, downtown Gardn City was th cntr of Nassau County s govrnmnt offics and courthouss. Both of ths businss districts wr havily car-orintd and lackd good transit connctions, and surfac parking accounting for almost a quartr of ths downtowns, including public strts. Anothr ara, th Roosvlt-Mitchll Filds ast of Hmpstad (known as th Nassau Hub) with univrsitis, musums, and th Nassau Colisum, also could not rach its full potntial du to poor transit options. Lik many othr parts of th rgion, Cntral Nassau was sharply dividd by rac and incom. For xampl, th Gardn City and Hmpstad s school districts, dspit bing in dirct proximity, wr among th most sgrgatd in th rgion, a rflction of th sgrgatd housing of th tim. Hmpstad public schools wr 96 prcnt black and Hispanic; Gardn City public schools, 90 prcnt whit. Most public transportation consistd of ithr slow and unrliabl local buss, or infrqunt havy rail accss via th LIRR to Nw York City, which was noisy and ran almost xclusivly through rsidntial nighborhoods. Travling vn a short distanc btwn north and south by public transit was vry difficult: From th Wst Hmpstad LIRR station to th Gardn City LIRR station dirctly to its north took only fiv minuts by car; yt public transportation rquird ithr two buss and a tn minut walk, or a rail transfr through Quns. How it happnd Chang bgan whn Nassau County, th Town of Hmpstad and th Long Island Rail Road agrd on a plan to dvlop th Hub to provid affordabl housing, commrcial offic spac, and ntrtainmnt options, as wll as a nw transit link that built on dcads of analysis by local plannrs. Th planning procss was mad asir through gratr public ngagmnt and an ffort by officials to addrss concrns about traffic and schools. Ladrs committd to focus on schools, adding art, aftr-school, scinc and languag programs that providd mor options for a mor divrs studnt body at ach school. Prformanc was closly monitord to nsur all schools continually improvd. Spurrd by stat incntivs, school districts bgan to collaborat with shard transportation, acadmic programs and magnt schools. This vntually ld school district to mrg into largr ons, rsulting in mor intgratd, high-prformanc schools. Th ara had many transportation assts, but thy wr undrutilizd. Th two last-usd branchs of th Long Island Rail, th Wst Hmpstad and Oystr Bay branchs, wr rconfigurd as a north/south rapid transit lin, conncting through Hmpstad and Gardn City but rtaining thir frqunt links to Manhattan. An xtnsion to th Nassau Hub was addd by utilizing a disusd rail right-of-way for part of th rout. Communitis on th north and south shors now had asy accss to th jobs, srvics, univrsitis and ntrtainmnt in Downtown Hmpstad, Gardn City, and th Nassau Hub. Rsidnts of cntral Nassau and th south shor wr abl to asily visit Oystr Bay, th Nassau Musum of Art and two natur prsrvs on th Oystr Bay lin. In addition to bttr transportation options, th surrounding communitis saw a major quality-of-lif improvmnt as th convrsion from havy rail to quitr and lowmitting rapid transit significantly rducd nois. This transit connction also hlpd downtown Hmpstad and Gardn City bcom a vibrant, walkabl corridor with nw shops, rstaurants, and pdstrian and strtscap improvmnts including bttr lighting, mor trs, and safr crossings. Mor walkabl aras opnd up 22 prcnt of th land ara formrly usd for surfac parking for nw homs, shops, offics, parks, and public facilitis lik libraris, schools and snior cntrs. Anothr bnfit was social intgration. In addition to th rgional school districts, mixd-us, mixd-incom dvlopmnt hlpd provid affordabl homs and mor shops and rstaurants throughout th corridor from Minola through Gardn City, to Hmpstad and Wst Hmpstad. Affordabl homs attractd young familis, which in turn brought nw businsss and invstmnt. And bcaus th nw dvlopmnt focusd not only on housing but also on xpanding civic and commrcial spac, th ara s anchor institution musums, univrsitis and hospitals wr abl to grow as wll and contribut mor to th largr community. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Nw rapid transit lins gav mor popl asir accss to jobs, natur, and ducational, cultural, and rcrational opportunitis, and th rducd nois and pollution improvd lif in th surrounding rsidntial nighborhoods. Bttr strtscaps improvd safty and mad walking mor njoyabl. Transitioning to rgional school districts savd mony and improvd ducation. Th improvd transit connctions, 306 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

22 accss to affordabl housing, and mixd-incom dvlopmnt allowd popl of all ags and backgrounds to liv in an attractiv suburb with complt nighborhoods and a strong sns of community. Rlvant plan rcommndations 10. Crat rgional school districts and srvics 13. Incras participation in local govrnmnt 24. Improv bus srvic, and introduc nw light rail and strtcar lins 25. Expand suburban transit options with affordabl, ondmand srvic 50. Build affordabl housing in all communitis across th rgion 48. Rmov barrirs to transit-orintd and mixd-us dvlopmnt Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 307

23 Flagship Plac Nwburgh A modl for quitabl and sustainabl dvlopmnt in th Hudson Vally 308 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

24 m t at nt ro or n d g. r f irp an tr fro n o o r i b A k ac ta d ur wa k, t rid t in at B bl on n ar n or war c rm sl ow a c c p r o u r m d t o t o t t d d t or n n d g r st on lop rid ods p to S rry ff r r s w m f o a g t l o o f r v p n d to na t d v wn lo ig at n C rh an own D str ma v -ds d nto wa nd hbo O t r n s d d a R ow T D ll u in G ig n in y d d w n Gr at a sil nwa x sing i M u R r h o h g It s 2040, and th formr industrial city of Nwburgh is an quitabl, halthy, and sustainabl city with thriving businsss and cultur, and a majstic gatway to th Highlands and th Hudson Vally. Nwburgh has succdd in building on its many strngths: divrsity and affordability, location on th Hudson Rivr with frry accss to th Mtro North railroad in Bacon, historic urban fabric, proximity to fright and highway infrastructur, and th proximity of anchor institutions including Mount Saint Mary Collg and Saint Luk s Cornwall Hospital. A now vibrant downtown faturs affordabl housing, liv-work artist spacs, tch startups, and light-industrial manufacturing. On sunny days, familis stroll along Grn Strts linking city parks with surrounding natural aras, including th Quassaick Crk blu/grn corridor. Saf, walkabl nighborhoods fatur ddicatd bik lans, whil rliabl local bus srvic allows rsidnts of Nwburgh and narby Bacon to spnd vnings in th othr city. Why it happnd Lik othr formr industrial citis that pakd in th mid20th cntury, Nwburgh xprincd dclin and thn forgd its own rnwal in th 21st cntury. Th city s rvitalization Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 309

25 had bnfits for th whol rgion dvlopmnt in th city rducd sprawl, hlpd bring popl out of povrty, and allowd gratr accss to conomic opportunity. How it happnd Unabl to rly on th strngth of Manhattan s cntral businss district, th city built its own by improving th digital infrastructur sdd with stat and local govrnmnt support that allows nwr, smallr businsss to flourish. Municipal partnrships with Mount Saint Mary Collg and Saint Luk s Cornwall Hospital includd collaboration on workforc dvlopmnt, a buy local stratgy, and rciprocal capital and conomic invstmnts. Bus rapid transit has gratly asd congstion on Rout 17 and intrstat 84, whil conncting Nwburgh s downtown with an xpandd Stwart Airport and th Mtro North rail station at Bacon. Upgradd nighborhood housing stock, anti-displacmnt masurs, strong rnt rgulations, and providing lgal counsl to low-incom rsidnts who facd viction allowd rsidnts to stay in th city as th conomy strngthnd. Th Nwburgh Land Bank, formd in 2014, playd a critical rol in rhabilitating hundrds of formrly blightd proprtis and supporting infill mixd-us dvlopmnt of vacant lots. Houss wr mad availabl to low- and modrat-incom first-tim hombuyrs, and many apartmnt buildings wr turnd into affordabl cooprativs or community land trusts with prmanntly affordabl units. Th city built contxtual, mixd-incom, mixd-us dvlopmnts that includ community-ownd affordabl housing, as wll as artist and commrcial spacs. Nwburgh ntrd into intrmunicipal-transfr-of-dvlopmnt-rights agrmnts, which playd an ssntial rol in bringing positiv dvlopmnt to th city whil stopping th sprawl that had bn thratning to dstroy th farming communitis and natural aras of th Hudson Vally. Th city plannd inclusivly, listning to its divrs communitis and organizations in th planning procss bfor making land-us dcisions. And, many local organizations ngagd in a collctiv impact stratgy to nsur xisting rsidnts bnfittd from changs in thir community. As a rsult, Nwburgh is still hom to popl from many racs, thnic groups, and incom lvls. To improv th city s accss to natur, thr is a ntwork of opn spacs conncting nighborhood parks to Snak Hill, Quassaick Crk, and a Hudson rivr watrfront grnway that also links to a mixd-us watrfront at th downtown to natural dgs to th north and south. Th formr consolidatd iron sit was transformd from a city-ownd suprfund parcl into a grat public park on th Hudson Rivr. Stat-of-th-art grn infrastructur tchnologis including rain gardns, biortntion aras, swals, grn roofs, cool and prmabl pavmnt, tr plantings, and storm-watr plantrs rduc dpndnc on th city s swr systm and protct th rgion s watr quality. Distributd gnration provid affordabl nrgy altrnativs to local rsidnts and businsss (link to Envt-13).Ths improvmnts hav also contributd to th rstoration of Lak Washington, and mad summrs mor barabl for rsidnts by mitigating urban hat island ffcts. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Nwburgh s conomic dvlopmnt has focusd on rducing povrty and inquality by providing stat support for a collaborativ city-town-county stratgy. This allowd for th sharing of proprty tax rvnus to support workr cooprativs, urban markts that collaborat with surrounding agricultur, and local artists and cultural organizations, all connctd with high-spd intrnt. In addition, rvnu sharing also drastically improvd th quality of ara schools. Nwburgh also capitalizd on a broadr rgional push toward compact urban living by playing to its gratst strngths: divrsity and affordability, a bautiful historic urban fabric, proximity to fright and highway infrastructur, and its proximity to natur and opn spacs. Nwburgh vn partnrd with surrounding municipalitis in Orang County to nsur dvlopmnt was concntratd in th city through transfr of dvlopmnt-right agrmnts that consrvd land outsid. Ths agrmnts facilitatd much broadr coopration, from rvnu sharing btwn school districts to agrmnts on cooprativ businsss, including agricultural businsss. Rlvant plan rcommndations 9. Rduc rlianc on local proprty taxs 14. Expand affordabl intrnt accss across th rgion 37. Cool our communitis 39. Crat a tri-stat trail ntwork 42. Modrniz th lctric grid 46. Protct low-incom rsidnts from displacmnt 54. Rstor our rgional job cntrs 59. Support and xpand community-cntrd arts and cultur 60. Expand halthy, affordabl food accss in th rgion 310 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

26 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 311

27 Flagship Plac Madowlands A national park for th rgion 312 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

28 k io na g R il ra lt n r wo t pm lo g v d d w rk N pa at s nd t n d nd E a xp r u ct tru s fra nt l in sili a c iti r Cr ad m tla w It s 2040, and a signatur National Park has bn cratd in th Madowlands, onc a largly undrapprciatd industrial landscap and transit crossroads. at d ion d o n nct lat r us Ju n- d d- s tio srv x ucu c i u M ca od pr S Pr ss u Th Madowlands has mbracd its idntity as a nw kind of park that is not a pristin landscap, but a complling dmonstration of how vital natural systms srvics habitat, flood control, clan watr can b rconcild with th infrastructur that is ssntial to th rgion s prosprity. Through a balancd approach of protction and rtrat, Madowlands communitis ar thriving, halthy, mixd-us cntrs of activity, protctd from storm surgs and sa-lvl ris flooding, and connctd to th rstord bauty and biodivrsity of a nw modl of national park that grows as th climat continus to chang. Placs lik Scaucus ar protctd from rising watrs, whil smallr communitis, lik Ttrboro and its airport, ar rturnd to natur whr floodwatrs can b absorbd. Communitis on th dg of th Madowlands, on highr ground, ar mor dns with a gratr mix of uss. Th rgion s job-rich warhousing and distribution cntrs ar rconfigurd and consolidatd, bcoming mor vrtical and aligning along a rgional industrial corridor of roadways and rail lins. Vital infrastructur, including major Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 313

29 At Risk Infrastructur and Population in th Madowlands Sa-lvl ris thratns to inundat or rgularly flood hundrds of contaminatd sits, mils of rail track, and othr critical pics of nrgy and watr infrastructur. Thousands of rsidnts and jobs will b ithr displacd or disruptd by sa-lvl ris or mor frqunt flooding vnts. Sourc: RPA Contaminants and natural infrastructur Landfill Contaminatd sit Wtlands Transportation infrastructur Passngr rail station Passngr rail lin Fright rail lin Airport Enrgy and watr infrastructur Ptrolum product trminals Wastwatr tratmnt plants Powr plants Population On dot pr prson +1ft +3ft +6ft Sa Lvl Ris roadways, rail lins, and wastwatr and nrgy facilitis is protctd and lvatd whr ncssary, nsuring this critical junctur kps th rgion moving and thriving. Why it happnd Ovr th past cntury, th Nw Jrsy Madowlands has bn a distributd mix of communitis and mploymnt cntrs locatd in a significant, though compromisd, stuarin systm. Th Madowlands was also burdnd with fright, commutr, and intr-city rail lins; and roads, powr lins, rfinris, and distribution and warhousing facilitis that kpt th northast mgargion thriving. It was also hom to som of th gratst concntrations of contaminatd sits in th country. Of all of th placs in th rgion at risk of incrasd flooding from climat chang, th Madowlands prsntd prhaps th gratst challng of all. In addition to thratning th infrastructur and natural systms dscribd abov, prmannt flooding from sa-lvl ris was bcoming a ral risk for up to 36,000 rsidnts and up to 51,000 jobs, 1 whil priodic flooding from incrasd prcipitation and storm surgs had thratnd to disrupt th livs of 40,000 rsidnts. As th consquncs of climat chang (gratr prcipitation, mor frqunt and intns storms, sa-lvl ris, and xtrm hat) bgan to acclrat, natural and human communitis as wll as vital infrastructur bgan facing gratr risks, with fw plans for addrssing thm. How it happnd Transforming th Madowlands into th climat-proof, natural, and conomic amnity has takn vision, coopration, and significant invstmnts. First, th concpt of a nw modl for a national park whr park boundaris xpand as th sa lvl riss and communitis rcd from th watr s dg was tstd and applid. An initial 10,000 acrs of parks, protctd wtlands, vacant land, and landfills wr transfrrd from stat, local, and land-trust ownrship to th fdral govrnmnt. Th 872-acr Ttrboro Airport sit was abandond by th Port Authority and nginrd into a natural flood storag sit. A robust buyout program was cratd for th Madowlands and vulnrabl rsidnts took advantag, slling thir homs ahad of th coming flood and adding acrag to th growing park. At th sam tim, fdral and stat invstmnts into clanups of contaminatd sits quicknd, along with rstoration fforts, and ths formr hotspots bcam ducational faturs of th nw park. 1 [org], [titl], [yar] With 6 ft of sa-lvl ris 314 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

30 On th priphry of th Madowlands, on highr ground, narby towns saw th opportunity prsntd by th buyout program and national park and rzond aras of communitis for incrasd dnsitis and mixs of uss. Ths bordr towns hav bcom thriving, mixd-us suburbs with dirct accss to an nvironmntal and rcrational amnity. Th rgion s Adaptation Trust Fund was tappd to invst in protctiv masurs for thos placs with th gratst concntrations of population, mploymnt, and critical infrastructur to guard against sa-lvl ris, storm surgs, and havy prcipitation flooding. Th town of Scaucus sits at th cntr of such an ara, with th highst population of any singl town in th Madowlands, and is now a thriving suburban cntr. A nw mastr plan for th ara around Giants Stadium includs invstmnts into flood protction and th phasing in of mixd uss. Nw Jrsy Transit, th Port Authority, CSX, and th Nw Jrsy Turnpik Authority hav bgun th complicatd procss of lvating rail- and roadways. Communitis surrounding th park wr wll-prpard to captur th conomic and othr bnfits of this nw amnity. Dvlopmnt around th dgs of th park incrasd dramatically, du to transit and road connctions. Th Madowlands was also abl to maintain its rol as a distribution and warhous mploymnt cntr by consolidating industrial uss into modrn and rsilint facilitis. Rlvant plan rcommndations 31. Protct dnsly populatd communitis along th coast from storms and flooding 32. Transition away from placs that can t b protctd 33. Establish a national park in th Madowlands 36. Rstor th rgion s harbor and stuaris 40. Upgrad infrastructur to high standards of rsilinc 55. Mak room for th nxt gnration of industry Privat warhousing and distribution companis, and thir tns of thousands of jobs aidd by fdral and stat conomic dvlopmnt grants joind togthr to rlocat into concntratd, protctd aras with good accss to road and rail. Ths nw vrtical facilitis rprsnt a nw modl for th industry. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Th dramatic changs taking plac in th Madowlands wr only possibl bcaus of strong and forward-looking ladrship providd by a Rgional Coastal Commission, focusd solly on th issu of adaptation. Mmbrs of th commission from all thr stats rcognizd th critical rgional link th Madowlands provids for roads, railways, and nrgy infrastructur, and could rach agrmnt on funding from ach stat s Adaptation Trust Fund to nsur th rgion rmains connctd and thriving. At th sam tim, th concpt of a nw modl of National Park capturd th imagination of rsidnts and rgional stakholdrs, who wr abl to galvaniz support at all lvls and push through th formal stat and fdral procsss. Municipalitis at th gratst risk of prmannt flooding wr abl to dvlop a timlin and bgin participating in an innovativ buy-out program to justly transition dvlopmnt away from th flood zons, knowing thir formr hom would b part of a nw park and natural habitat. Th Fourth Rgional Plan 315

31 Flagship Plac Patrson Conncting a formr factory town to th rgion s conomy 316 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

32 n Li on ain l i ra m ht ad lig ilro w a N i R Er t n s pm ic lo r rv t o v r rrid d il s n r Ra pm iv Co l l R a a lo n tri on aic us gi dv ss /Gr d a R ur P lu In sp B It s 2040, and Patrson is a vibrant rgional cntr with nw rail connctions and a growing conomy and tourism sctor. s s all ac t F p s a n Gr op by k d d r k or l Pa n i L ch na an atio N With nw rail connctions linking Patrson with Nwark and Nw York City, as wll as stations in Passaic and Essx countis, it is now possibl to commut from Patrson to Manhattan in about 30 minuts without transfrring, roughly half of what it was in A nw light-rail srvic utilizs th formrly dormant Eri Railroad Main Lin, and has rinforcd Clifton, Nutly, Bllvill, and othr placs it passs as viabl communitis, with dirct connctions to th Nwark subway and Nwark Pnn Station. Fastr commuts to Nw York City hav spurrd th building of nw homs and apartmnts around th rail station. But Patrson, th third largst city in Nw Jrsy, is also a dstination: visitors can asily accss Grat Falls in Patrson s National Historic Park, which has dramatically incrasd visitor numbrs. Patrson is also an important downtown dstination for rstaurants with intrnational cuisin, which provid jobs for local rsidnts. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 317

33 to two- or thr-family homs; construct nw rcrational facilitis: and rdvlop th Hinchliff Stadium. Thr was mor activity in th downtown ara, whil th govrnmnt addrssd crim and safty concrns. As this chang took plac, Patrson was abl to rmain th most thnically divrs city in Nw Jrsy. Photo: Rich Mitchll By maintaining and upgrading its xisting housing stock and balancing historic prsrvation with nw dvlopmnt, Patrson has bn abl to rmain an affordabl and divrs community. It has also drawn crativ and food sctor companis from all ovr th rgion to rlocat or start businsss, providing jobs and conomic growth. Th industrial aras north and south of th downtown hav bn consolidatd and rconfigurd to accommodat a nw gnration of nvironmntally-frindly, small-scal manufacturing and companis, many of thm part of th makr movmnt or focusing on food. Nw ntrpriss occupy formrly vacant warhouss clustrd along th Passaic Rivr, which ar srvd both by light rail stations and a bikway that follows a grn blt from th National Historic Park. Dvlopmnt has allowd rsidnts to rmain in Patrson and thriv whil stimulating a broadr, mor conomically divrs workforc to mov thr sking nw opportunitis. Why it happnd Patrson, onc th hom of a thriving silk manufacturing industry struggld for many dcads with a loss of industrial jobs, and as a rsult, xprincd an incras in crim. Yt things startd to chang in 2009 whn Congrss authorizd th stablishd of Grat Falls as National Park, boosting tourism. Th popularity of th Broadway musical Hamilton ncouragd visitors to xplor Alxandr Hamilton s rol in th ara s history, whil Patrson rappr Ftty Wap drw attntion to th city. How it happnd Nw transit links and adapting vacant industrial buildings for crativ purposs wr crucial to rdvlopmnt and rvitalization. Community-basd organizations and youth groups playd a vital rol in th transformation, which was carrid out using stat tax crdits. Placing Nw Jrsy s first municipal intrnt ntwork in Patrson was crucial for artists using nw digital tchnologis. Nw rail lins wr built in rcord tim, funding by incrasd rvnus from highway tolls. An inclusiv planning procss allowd communitis to xprss concrns as th projct was dsignd. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Th rvitalization of Patrson dmonstratd how nw transit options can connct popl to mor opportunity, and bring rsidnts and visitors to jobs and cultural and rcrational dstinations throughout th rgion. Nw transit connctions also ncouragd dvlopmnt in cntrs most in nd, and hlpd channl invstmnts. Clan industris, using modrn production tchniqus, wr abl to flourish in th formr factory town. Rlvant plan rcommndations 23. Improv bus srvic, and introduc nw light rail and strtcar lins 39. Crat a tri-stat trail ntwork 51. Mak all housing halthy housing 54. Rstor our rgional job cntrs 55. Mak room for th nxt gnration of industry 59. Support and xpand community-cntrd arts and cultur A nw Mastr Plan was initiatd in 2014, giving local Community Dvlopmnt Corporations mor rsourcs to tak action. Th light rail lin was built ovr thr yars, bnfiting from an inclusiv planning procss and fastr construction timlins. Th Mastr Plan also changd zoning rgulations, making it asir to convrt on-family homs 318 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

34 Th Fourth Rgional Plan 319

35 Flagship Plac Th Innr Long Island Sound Industry, natur and nighborhoods in harmony 320 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

36 th ng ivr o m al R n si Co ys onx Ra an a b r d w Br u T d n nd ro xh nd Park an o r n a a y b o p i G rg try Tr Br w nd Ex land n dus N Sou Is r in LI n r a lthi l C a h d t pl s ll da in tl It s 2040, and th Innr Long Island Sound has bn transformd from on of Nw York City s worst pollutd aras into a halthy plac to liv and work. ks ar ur P t w uc N str r a o r h t t f in cn nt c i o d v n n th r sla tio pa g ys s I uca r d r id r p Br k d F / ck Ri d k i b an w sn N rog Th From th Whitston Bridg to th Triboro Bridg, th watrfront is finally opn and accssibl, with protctions against sa-lvl ris and storm surgs. An urban park rangr givs a tour on th nwly opnd North Brothr Island, xplaining how pollution was rducd; wildlif rstord to th watr, land, and air; and asthma and othr rspiratory illnsss in th narby nighborhoods virtually liminatd. A Bronx woman taks th nw Triboro lin to hr good-paying industrial job, a 45-minut commut rducd to tn. On Rikrs Island, th notorious dtntion cntr, now provids jobs instad of jails, with stat-of-th-art nrgy gnration, ducation, and nvironmntal facilitis. Why it happnd For dcads, th Innr Sound ara was on of th most inquitably tratd placs in th rgion, with multipl wastwatr-tratmnt facilitis, powr plants, jails, noxious industris, combind swr ovrflow, and wast-transfr stations. Pollution was commonplac in th surrounding mostly low-incom communitis, with subsqunt halth problms. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 321

37 Asthma rats in Mott Havn wr th worst in th city, and childrn in Hunts Point wr mor likly to liv within walking distanc of a wast-transfr station than a park. Along th svn mils of South Bronx shor, th inaccssibl industrial watrfront containd only two small parks totaling lss than 1,000 ft of shorlin. On th North Shor of Quns, thr wr narly nin mils of inaccssibl industrial and airport watrfront from Astoria to East Elmhurst. At th cntr of this was th 413-acr Rikrs Island, a violnc-pron and isolatd jail whr 79 prcnt of thos incarcratd wr nvr convictd of a crim and wr simply unabl to mak bail. Yt th Innr Sound also was hom to badly ndd blu-collar jobs and protctd islands. Instad of liminating thm, th city found ways to intgrat th natural amnitis with industry and rsidnts in an nvironmntally frindly way. How it happnd Much of th transformd ara was ownd by th city, including all of th islands in th harbor (Rikrs Island, North and South Brothr islands, and Randall s Island), four wasttratmnt plants, th Hunts Point Cooprativ Markt, and svral othr larg parcls of land. Utility companis and othr quasi-public ntitis ownd othr larg parcls of land. This providd an opportunity for implmntation of a comprhnsiv vision for th ntir ara. Th first stp was closing th Rikrs Island jail complx and transitioning to smallr borough-basd jails, as rcommndd by Th Indpndnt Commission on Nw York City Criminal Justic and Incarcration Rform, and supportd by th City Council and Mayor d Blasio. This approach not only rducd incarcration rats throughout th city but also opnd up Rikrs for industrial, ducational, and rcrational uss. Ths includ a composting cntr, wastwatrtratmnt plant, wast-to-nrgy facility, rlatd ducation and job training facilitis, a public grnway, and a mmorial to Rikrs s notorious past. As a rsult, wastwatr-tratmnt plants and truck-to-truck wast-transfr facilitis wr liminatd in th surrounding nighborhoods, rducing air and watr pollution and allowing th cration of clan industry along th watrfront. A nw Triboro rail lin providd a nw transportation link for Northrn Quns and th South Bronx, including accss to opn spac on Randall s Island. Th futur of th Innr Sound was dtrmind to a larg xtnt through a comprhnsiv community planning procss, which includd nighborhood rsidnts, community groups, public agncis, and larg local mployrs and institutions lik Con Edison and th Hunts Point Food Co-op. This built on prvious, smallr planning fforts in ths nighborhoods. Nw parks and rcration aras could b dvlopd quickly, bcaus much of th unusd or lightly usd land in th ara was alrady ownd by th city, utilitis, or public agncis. As mor land gradually bcam availabl through dcommissioning, th plan was furthr rfind and implmntd. And as tchnology improvd, nw nrgy-fficint and nvironmntally frindly industrial facilitis including powr gnration, wastwatr transfr, and food dlivry wr addd, improving th halth of surrounding communitis as wll. How th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan hlpd Building a nw wast tratmnt station on Rikrs Island and liminating combind swr ovrflows drastically rducd pollution, rstord natural nvironmnts, and improvd halth. Opning accss to th watrfront, crating mor parks, and rducing truck traffic and noxious uss in rsidntial nighborhoods hlpd addrss nvironmntal and social injustics of th past. Prsrving industrial land and brought mor good-paying jobs, and a nw transit option in th Triboro lin has nabl mor accss to thm. It has also providd a national modl for othr citis throughout th country, illustrating how tchnology can allow modrn infrastructur and rcration to co-xist on th watrfront. Rlvant plan rcommndations 35. Stop discharging raw swag and othr pollutants into watrways 36. Rstor th rgion s harbor and stuaris 39. Crat a tri-stat trail ntwork 55. Mak room for th nxt gnration of industry 58. Turn nvironmntally burdnd nighborhoods into halthy communitis 322 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

38 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 323

39 Nw York City Sustain and broadn prosprity In th past two dcads, Nw York City has xprincd a rmarkabl turnaround. Th city s dynamic conomy, robust transit systm, walkabl nighborhoods, cultural divrsity, and global connctions hav rstord its ladrship position both nationally and intrnationally. Narly nin out of tn jobs addd in th rgion from 2005 to 2015 wr in th fiv boroughs, aftr dcads of bing outpacd by suburban nighbors. Whil th city bnfitd from global urbanization trnds, th rsurgnc would not hav bn possibl without intntional policy choics. Larg capital invstmnt programs dating back to th 1980s rstord much of th city s housing stock and rturnd public transportation infrastructur to working ordr. Public safty improvmnts starting in th 1990s mad Nw York on of th safst big citis in Amrica. And ovr th last 15 yars, rnwd focus on public halth, ducation, and public spacs has improvd th wll-bing of city rsidnts. But this succss rmains fragil and incomplt. Povrty rmains high, incoms havn t risn for th majority of housholds, and incrasd dmand for living in th city has rsultd in skyrockting housing costs. Nighborhoods that wr onc bastions of affordabl housing hav bcom too xpnsiv for long-tim poor and working-class rsidnts, forcing many to mov, with fwr and fwr options of placs to go. Th city s wid disparitis in rac and socioconomic status ar prhaps most pronouncd in th aras of halth and longvity. Rsidnts of th mor afflunt Uppr East Sid liv, on avrag, tn yars longr than rsidnts of Harlm, who ar primarily black, Hispanic, and lss walthy, and ar mor likly to hav lss accss to stabl housing, a good job, and a halthy nvironmnt. 1 Mor than 360,000 mor popl call Nw York City hom today than in 2010, and 610,000 mor popl work hr. Yt invstmnt in th city s infrastructur has not kpt pac, laving many systms in disrpair. Subways ar ovrcrowdd and frquntly dlayd and mor srious disruptions occur with alarming rgularity. Strts ar mor congstd than vr bfor, costing billions in lost conomic productivity. 1 Nw York CIty Dpartmnt of Halth, Nw York City Community Halth Profils Atlas, 2015 Bus srvic is slow and ridrship has droppd dramatically, du in part to passngrs switching to fastr and mor rliabl to on-dmand srvics. Two of th city s major transit hubs Pnn Station and th Port Authority Bus Trminal cannot handl currnt passngr loads, and rail srvics ar pron to frqunt failurs. Th impacts of climat chang will add to ths challngs. Many of th aras most suscptibl to sa-lvl ris and storm surg ar dnsly populatd nighborhoods with lowr-incom rsidnts, or rsidnts of color. Ths includ communitis in th Rockaways, Jamaica Bay, Cony Island, and th East Shor of Statn Island. Much of th city s critical infrastructur is also locatd in th floodplain, such as powr plants, rail yards, public housing, and hospitals. Addrssing ths challngs will rquir rforming many of Nw York City s public agncis and authoritis, and rforming thir rgulatory structurs to nabl fastr dcisionmaking and unlock nw funding sourcs. And bcaus ths challngs ar rgional in natur, addrssing thm will also rquir gratr collaboration with nighboring citis and towns outsid th city s bordrs, as wll as with stat govrnmnt. Fortunatly, Nw York City has a strong track rcord daling with criss. Whthr rducing crim or improving transit, th city s civic, businss, and political ladrship hav usually com togthr to mak things happn. Th Fourth Rgional Plan rcommnds actions that would build on th city s succsss to sustain and broadn its prosprity. Modrnizing th subway systm to incras capacity and improv srvic is a priority. Th plan proposs a Subway Rconstruction Public Bnfit Corporation to ovrs ovrhauling th ntir systm within 15 yars, and providing fast and rliabl srvic, clan and accssibl stations, and bttr customr srvic. Th subway systm would also b xtndd to undrsrvd nighborhoods. Anothr transit priority for Nw York City is to significantly improv commutr rail srvic across th Hudson Rivr by building and xtnding th Gatway tunnls to Sunnysid Quns, allowing through srvic at a rnovatd and 324 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

40 xpandd Pnn Station, rnovating th Port Authority bus trminal at 42 nd Strt, and building a scond bus trminal undr th Javits Cntr. Longr trm, th rgion s thr commutr rail systms should b unifid into a comprhnsiv rgional rail ntwork that would provid a scond rapid transit srvic for city rsidnts, with frqunt srvic and affordabl fars. Highspd train srvic to Washington D.C. and Boston, bttr transit connctions to all thr Nw York airports, and incrasd capacity at Knndy and Nwark would nsur Nw York rmains connctd to othr citis. Charging drivrs to ntr th Manhattan commrcial cor is an important stratgy to rduc traffic and rais rvnu for th transportation systm. City strts should also b rdsignd to prioritiz walking, biking, and transit, with widr sidwalks, mor bik and bus lans, and nw strtcar and light-rail lins. As on-dmand, and ultimatly, drivrlss vhicls bcom commonplac, th city must tak stps to prvnt additional traffic whil taking advantag of th bnfits ths vhicls provid, such as rducd dmand for parking and mor fficint travl. Parking spacs should b convrtd to rain gardns, bus or bik lans, or sidwalk spac. Th plan includs many rcommndations to rliv th city s housing crisis. Tns of thousand of homs could b addd with nw construction by ncouraging mor vacant units to b put on th markt, and mor two- and thrfamily homs out of xisting singl-family homs. Zoning rgulations should b rformd to lift arbitrary dnsity caps in Manhattan and allow for dnsr dvlopmnt nar train stations in highr-incom as wll as lowr-incom nighborhoods. Inclusionary zoning should b applid not just citywid, but throughout th rgion. Th city can support sustaind, divrsifid job growth by xpanding mixd-incom districts nar th Manhattan Cntral Businss District and promoting job cntrs in placs lik Jamaica and th Bronx Hub. A divrsifid job markt also rquirs that th city limit th convrsion or rdvlopmnt of oldr commrcial buildings and industrial land so that diffrnt building typs can accommodat a varity of businsss. Adapting to climat chang will rquir major invstmnts in both grn and gry infrastructur citywid. Grn roofs, rain gardns, mor trs, and prmabl pavmnt would rduc hat, storm-watr runoff, and contaminatd watr rlasd into th harbor and othr watrways. Ths faturs would also crat halthir and mor livabl nighborhoods. Many projcts ar alrady undrway to protct th Lowr East Sid, Lowr Manhattan, Edgmr and othr communitis from coastal storms and sa lvl ris. Ths projcts should b fully fundd and compltd. But in th longr trm, th city must mak difficult dcisions about coastal adaptation. In som nighborhoods, th bst stratgy may b to protct against rising sa lvl and storms, whil a managd transition in othr nighborhoods would b a bttr solution if thr is gratr risk or th dnsitis don t justify th cost of protction. In thos cass, th transition will nd to b ld by local communitis and supportd with ffctiv buyout programs and assistanc to low-incom rntrs and othr socially vulnrabl popl. Th proposd Rgional Coastal Commission and stat adaptation trust funds, capitalizd with surchargs on homownr insuranc, could hlp coordinat stratgis and fund ths invstmnts. Th city must prsrv th affordabl housing that alrady xists, and invst in th public, shard-ownrship, and supportiv housing systms that can hlp nd homlssnss and build walth in low-incom nighborhoods. Th city should also provid strongr lgal protctions for low-incom tnants, and proactivly inspct rntal units to idntify and addrss unhalthy living conditions. Many of ths policis could b paid for by rdircting xisting housing subsidy programs. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 325

41 Long Island City Sinc Long Island City (LIC) was rzond in 2001, th dsolat manufacturing hub has bcom th fastst-growing rsidntial and cultural district in Nw York City. In th last dcad alon, narly 10,000 apartmnts hav bn built, and mor than 20,000 ar plannd or undr construction. LIC is also a thriving arts community, with larg institutions such as MoMA PS1 and dozns of smallr gallris and artist spacs. Just a ston s throw from Midtown Manhattan, LIC is srvd by six subway lins, 15 bus lins, th Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and frris. Th Qunsboro Bridg and Quns- Midtown Tunnl also giv LIC dirct accss to Manhattan by car. LIC rsidnts lov th nighborhood s convnint location, xcllnt transit, attractiv watrfront, and livly cultural amnitis. But many rsidnts ar also concrnd about rising housing costs, ovrcrowdd schools, and lack of affordabl housing. And mor chang is coming. Th opning of Cornll Tch on Roosvlt Island, a major ngin of Nw York City s tch cosystm, givs LIC th opportunity to add mor commrcial dvlopmnt to its solid rsidntial bas. Th MTA s East Sid Accss projct, to b compltd by 2023, will bring a nw intrmodal LIRR station to LIC, and th proposd Brooklyn-Quns Connctor, a light rail lin running along th East Rivr watrfront, would provid asy accss up to Astoria, Quns, down to Sunst Park, Brooklyn. Th Fourth Rgional Plan calls for xtnding th proposd Gatway projct from its currnt plannd trminus at Pnn Station through Manhattan to connct to LIRR in LIC. With ths transportation improvmnts, th dvlopmnt of Sunnysid Yards a sit of almost 200 acrs could finally matrializ. Rdvlopmnt of th yards could bring nw homs, businsss, convntion and xhibition spacs, and parks, and hlp ti togthr Astoria, Sunnysid, Huntrs Point, and LIC. Nw invstmnts in Long Island City could incras prssurs on rnts. Th fourth plan rcommnds stratgis to protct xisting rsidnts from displacmnt, whil thir nighborhoods transition to dnsr, mor mixd-us aras. Rsidnts, businsss, and cultural institutions should b involvd in planning for th futur of thir communitis, supportd by city and stat policis to bttr targt housing subsidis, protct xisting rsidnts and businsss from displacmnt, crat mor homownrship opportunitis, and prsrv land for industrial uss. Long Island City s futur is bright, and with th right invstmnts and policis, will bcom hom to thousands mor rsidnts and workrs that contribut to th vibrancy of Nw York City. Flushing Th Flushing ara alrady has th makings of a ral rgional hub, with its divrs intrnational population and bustling strts. Th busist subway station outsid Manhattan is Flushing s Main Strt station on th #7 lin, with wkday ridrship on par with Rockfllr Cntr and 42 nd strt- Bryant Park. Th intrsction of Main Strt and Roosvlt Avnu is th third busist intrsction in th city, aftr Tims Squar and Hrald Squar. With mor than 30,000 rsidnts born in China, Flushing is on of th biggst and fastst-growing Chinatowns in th world. Indd, 70 prcnt of its rsidnts ar of Asian dscnt, including larg numbrs from China, Taiwan, South Kora, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladsh, India, and Sri Lanka. It is a major cultural cntr and th fourth largst cntral businss district in Nw York City. Yt, many rsidnts ar concrnd about Flushing s ability to grow. Th #7 lin is nar capacity, school ovrcrowding is bginning to b a major concrn, affordability for rsidnts and businsss is a challng, and thr arn t nough parks in th nighborhood. Th Fourth Rgional Plan includs many rcommndations to hlp Flushing achiv its vision of bcoming an vn strongr cultural and conomic hub, and still rmain a livabl, affordabl nighborhood with a cohsiv idntity and charactr for rsidnts with a wid rang of incoms. Th plan rcommnds stratgis to protct xisting rsidnts from displacmnt whil thir nighborhoods transition to dnsr, mor mixd-us aras. City and stat policis should bttr targt housing subsidis and crat mor hom ownrship opportunitis. Furthrmor, nighborhood-ld planning procsss could hlp local arts and cultural institutions partnr with rsidnts and businsss to mak downtown Flushing vn mor walkabl and activ, supportd by Flushing s strong cultural idntity. 326 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

42 Nighborhood stakholdrs ar alrady agr to achiv th rmdiation of Flushing Crk, which is ovrwhlmd with untratd swag and storm watr whn thr is as littl as half an inch of rain. Claning up th crk would crat halthy rcration opportunitis for ara rsidnts. Finally, th additional transit capacity ndd to sustain mor job and population growth could b achivd by rpurposing th narby Long Island Rail Road Flushing Main Strt station, which is currntly undrutilizd. By intgrating th LIRR into a rgional rail systm, rsidnts of Flushing could gain nw xprss transit srvic for th sam pric as a subway far and Flushing-basd companis could draw from a largr pool of mploys throughout th city and th rgion. Locally, land prsrvd for industrial uss would support Flushing s manufacturing jobs, and complmnt its rtail. highway intrchang at Oak Point instad of Edgwatr Road would bttr connct th surrounding communitis to th Hunts Point markt and watrfront. As East Bronx nighborhoods gain bttr transportation accss, it will b ssntial to both prsrv and build nw affordabl housing for a rang of houshold incoms and protct rsidnts from displacmnt. Community-drivn planning procsss would hlp nighborhoods navigat futur planning fforts to allow th cration of mor homs, ithr in nw buildings or by allowing mor units within xisting buildings. Th fourth plan outlins ways to crat mor parks and grn infrastructur in th East Bronx, which would rduc th urban hat island ffct, mitigat flooding, clan th air, nabl asir accss to th Long Island Sound, and protct watrfront communitis from sa-lvl ris and storm surg. East Bronx Th population and conomy of th Bronx is growing fastr than th rst of Nw York City, and will rciv anothr boost whn four nw Mtro-North stations opn in 2022 in th East Bronx (at Hunts Point, Parkchstr, Morris Park, and Co-op City). Annxd to th city 20 yars aftr th Wst Bronx, th East Bronx is much lss dns than th rst of th borough. With th xcption of th lowr-incom and mor industrial aras to th South, th East Bronx is hom to rsidnts with a wid rang of incoms. Many rsidnts dpnd on th #5 and #6 subway lins to gt to work in Manhattan, whil othrs rly on local and xprss buss, or tak thir car. Th nw Mtro-North stations will dramatically improv th commut to Midtown Manhattan, spcially for th rsidnts of Co-op City hading to th Far Wst Sid. Thos stations and th Triboro Lin proposd in th Fourth Rgional Plan would also giv East Bronx rsidnts asir accss to Quns, Brooklyn, and Conncticut. Th fourth plan rcommnds crating mor saf strts that prioritiz pdstrians, bicycls, buss, and goods movmnt ovr privat automobils, which would rduc traffic and mak it asir for popl to rach th nw transit srvics. Th plan also rcommnds transforming th Shridan Exprssway, on of th Bronx s many highways, into an urban boulvard with fwr lans, additional crosswalks, traffic signals, and trs to bttr srv th community. A Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 327

43 Nw Jrsy Crat a sustainabl conomic powrhous connctd to Nw York and points south Th most dnsly populatd stat in th nation, Nw Jrsy, is a corridor stat locatd btwn two major mtropolitan rgions: Nw York and Philadlphia. Bnjamin Franklin famously rfrrd to it as a kg tappd at both nds. It has prosprd from this uniqu position, and in th 20 th cntury it invstd in highways, a global airport, and a saport, and attractd companis to suburban offic parks. In th 1980s and 1990s, with strong public ladrship, Nw Jrsy rvitalizd mass transit and mad major invstmnts in farmland and woodland prsrvation. It was a national ladr both in growth managmnt, and in affordabl housing policis to addrss th stat s history of housing discrimination and sgrgation. For many dcads, this was a formula for succss: a pro-businss climat, xcllnt infrastructur, improvd transit connctions to Nw York City, highr rats of affordabl housing production, and bountiful natural rsourcs from th farms of Sussx County to th Jrsy Shor. Although an xpnsiv stat with high proprty taxs and housing and labor costs, for many, it was worth it to liv and work thr. In th last dcad, howvr, Nw Jrsy s conomy has faltrd, whil nighboring Nw York City has surgd. Nw Jrsy incoms hav stagnatd, whil housing costs hav scalatd. Lack of invstmnt in nw and xpandd transportation capacity to Nw York City has faild to kp pac with growing dmand, laving Nw Jrsy s commutr-rail and bus ridrs frustratd and angry. Pnn Station and th Port Authority Bus Trminal, which togthr account for mor than 600,000 daily trans-hudson trips mor than half of all commutrs ntring Nw York City vry day ar ovr capacity and pron to frqunt dlays. Major rpairs ar ndd to prvnt a catastroph and protct this vulnrabl infrastructur from climat chang. Whil Nw Jrsy has prsrvd almost on million acrs of opn spac in th Highlands, and a similar amount in th south Jrsy Pinlands, thr ar always fforts to wakn or dismantl ths protctions. Suprstorm Sandy xposd th stat s vulnrability to violnt storms and sa-lvl ris causd by climat chang, but littl has bn don byond rbuilding in plac. Rgulations and incntivs to promot affordabl housing spcially in walkabl downtowns and nar train stations wr also dismantld ovr th last dcad. Court ordrs hav raffirmd th stat s commitmnt to nforcing fair-shar housing laws, but th Christi administration did littl to support thos provisions. Citis and walkabl downtowns ar now capturing most nw conomic activity in th tri-stat rgion and across th country and globally as wll. Th Fourth Rgional Plan outlins stratgis for Nw Jrsy to tak advantag of this dvlopmnt by invsting in its citis and downtowns, and capitalizing on its proximity to Nw York City on NJ Transit. First and formost, Nw Jrsy must solv its transportation crisis by building a nw commutr rail tunnl undr th Hudson Rivr and a scond bus trminal in Manhattan, in coopration with Nw York Stat and City. Yt vn ths major invstmnts would only provid nough capacity for a fw dcads, rquiring furthr rail connctions bfor midcntury. With a third pair of tunnls undr th Hudson Rivr to Midtown Manhattan, both th Wst Shor Railroad and Nw York, Susquhanna and Wstrn Railway lins could b ractivatd, giving Brgn and Passaic countis a on-sat commutr rail connction to Nw York City. In th mantim, PATH and th Hudson-Brgn Light Rail should both b xtndd to undrsrvd communitis, and invstmnts should b mad to incras thir carrying capacity. A rdsignd and xpandd Nwark Airport would rduc travl dlays and gnrat mor local jobs. Nw Jrsy should invst in its major citis, including Nwark, Elizabth, Jrsy City, Patrson, and Trnton. But as ths citis gain nw jobs and mor housing, xisting rsidnts should b protctd from rising costs and displacmnt. Rdsigning strts to b pdstrian- and bus-frindly would hlp improv nighborhoods and provid bttr transit options. As on-dmand and ultimatly drivrlss vhicls bcom commonplac, citis must tak masurs to nsur thy don t dominat strts and roads and caus congstion. Mor intntional strt managmnt could improv th bnfits of ths tchnology-nabld vhicls, such as lss nd for parking and mor fficint movmnts. Ths actions would lad to halthir nvironmnts for communitis with high rats of asthma, diabts, and othr chronic disass. 328 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

44 Nw Jrsy s commrcial corridors, offic parks, and shopping cntrs can also bcom mor walkabl, transit-frindly placs with nw highway-dsign guidlins, modl land-us cods, invstmnts in rapid buss and othr transit, and stat incntivs for intr-municipal collaboration. Th stat should also r-assrt its national ladrship in housing policy, rviving and strngthning its affordabl housing laws with a statwid inclusionary zoning policy to nsur all nw multifamily housing includs low- and modrat-incom homs. A nw national park in th Madowlands would join Nw Jrsy s wll-known natural attractions such as th Highlands, Jrsy Shor, and Grat Swamp, and hlp mitigat th impact of climat chang on nighboring communitis. At th sam tim, a comprhnsiv stratgy for Nw Jrsy s coastal communitis, coordinatd by a rgional coastal commission and fundd by a stat trust fund, would rduc th risks to both rsidnts and th conomy posd by climat chang. Nw Jrsy should also rgain its ladrship position in nrgy and nvironmntal policy, rjoining th Rgional Grnhous Gas Initiativ (RGGI), and working to broadn its carbon pricing into a comprhnsiv markt for grnhous gass. Nwark With th hlp of strong ladrship, as wll as committd anchor institutions, businsss, and community organizations, th city is attracting nw vnturs and rstoring abandond factoris and othr buildings as hubs for ducation, innovation, and vn urban farms. Th nw Rivrfront Park is rconncting th city with th Passaic Rivr. Tachrs Villag, a mixd-us rdvlopmnt projct, is narly complt, attracting ducators and nw rsidnts to downtown, and srving as a modl for similar mixd-us, mixd-incom projcts. Nwark Fibr, th product of an innovativ public-privat partnrship, has brought vry high-spd intrnt srvic to Nwark, and positiond th city to bcom a hub for tch start-ups. Th formr Hahn s Building is now an arts incubator and ducation hub. Nw plans for a PATH train xtnsion to Nwark Airport could opn up furthr job opportunitis for rsidnts in som of th city s lowst incom nighborhoods. Downtown Nwark. Photo: Nancy Borowick Nwark s rvitalization should continu by lvraging th city s uniqu cultural, transportation, and historic assts. Ths includ Nwark s uniqu transportation assts (NJ Transit, Amtrak, th Nwark subway, and th PATH train), its cultural institutions (th Nw Jrsy Prforming Arts Cntr and Nwark Musum), and its collgs and univrsitis (Rutgrs Univrsity, Ston Hall Univrsity of Law, th Nw Jrsy Institut of Tchnology, and Essx County Community Collg). Many Nwarkrs ar xcitd about th changs, but thy also want to nsur bnfits rach xisting rsidnts in addition to nwcomrs, and to forstall displacmnt as dvlopmnt acclrats. To addrss ths concrns, Nwark took a historic stp in 2017 by passing an inclusionary housing policy that rquirs 20 prcnt of all nw housing construction to b st asid for low- and modrat-incom familis. Th Fourth Rgional Plan urgs th thr stats to focus fforts and invstmnts in lgacy citis lik Nwark. It faturs stratgis that would hlp Nwark achiv inclusiv prosprity by protcting currnt rsidnts from displacmnt, and suggsts incntivs for nw housing that would hlp th city rtain and attract rsidnts of diffrnt incom lvls. Th plan rcommnds transportation infrastructur projcts such as th Gatway projct, th PATH xtnsion, and a nw light rail connction to Patrson that would incras conomic opportunitis for Nwarkrs. Th plan also suggsts grning urban landscaps to improv th halth and wll-bing of all rsidnts. Trnton Nw Jrsy s capital, Trnton, has an opportunity to connct its nighborhoods, historic downtown, and watrfront, and bcom a vibrant midpoint btwn Nw York and Philadl- Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 329

45 opd aras. At tims, it is a two-lan suburban strt; at othrs, a six-lan dividd highway. Drivrs rly on Rout 23 for local trips or to connct to othr highways, such as Rout 202, US 46, and I-80. In 2008, NJ Transit opnd a Transit Cntr in Wayn, NJ on Rout 23, allowing commutrs to park and tak a train or a bus to Nw York, Nwark, Patrson, and othr dstinations. Wayn Rout 23 Station. Photo: Adam-Moss phia. Th city s mastr plan, Trnton250, nvisions bcoming both a biggr city, with mor rsidnts and jobs, and a mor quitabl city, with a bttr quality of lif for all. Th mastr plan outlins ways to strngthn Trnton s rsidntial, rtail, and cultural sctors with a divrs local conomy, supportd by invstmnts in ducation and th arts. Th plan promots univrsal accss to th intrnt to nhanc innovation and xpand opportunity. Trnton250 also aspirs to crat a mor halthy, saf, and walkabl city. On spcific proposal, long on th books but still not approvd, ntails transforming Rout 29 into an urban boulvard and rclaiming park spac along th Dlawar Rivr watrfront. Th plan also includs th construction of nw homs, offics, and rtail, a nw public squar, and th xpansion of th historic William Trnt Hous Musum. Rout 23 could bcom a modl for how to rtrofit a suburban highway into a bttr connctd, pdstrian-frindly corridor than bnfits th communitis along it. Th road alrady supports som lvl of transit, but with th right kind of growth and invstmnt, it could bcom an ssntial componnt of northrn Nw Jrsy s transit ntwork. Rcommndations in th Fourth Rgional Plan includ changing local zoning to nabl nw nods of mixd-us dvlopmnt whr thr ar alrady concntrations of activity nar transit stops. At ths nods, nw dsign standards for th highway would rduc accidnts and crat th conditions to promot walking and biking. With mor popl on public transportation, walking, and biking; with bttr managmnt of highways through pricing; and ultimatly, with th advnt of shard, drivrlss vhicls, parking lots could b rclaimd for grn infrastructur or nw dvlopmnt. IMAGE: insrt photo of th NJ Transit Wayn/Rout 23 Transit Cntr. Th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan would hlp th city of Trnton raliz its vision by calling for stat and municipal collaboration for building housing downtown, attracting nw businsss, and crating cultural and arts attractions. In particular, th Fourth Plan calls for mor stat rsourcs to hlp citis transform limitd-accss highways into urban boulvards. Stratgis to crat univrsal highspd intrnt accss and dvlop partnrships with anchor institutions such as hospitals and univrsitis ar particularly rlvant for Trnton. And improvmnts that would rsult in fastr, mor rliabl rail srvic btwn Trnton, northrn Nw Jrsy, and Nw York City would mak th city mor attractiv to rsidnts and businsss alik. Rout 23 Lik many highway corridors in th tri-stat rgion, Rout 23 in northrn Nw Jrsy has volvd ovr dcads without any singular plan or cohrnt vision. From Cdar Grov to Rivrdal, Rout 23 passs through singl-family nighborhoods, shopping cntrs, strip malls, and largly undvl- 330 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

46 Long Island Rnw th promis of Amrica s first suburb In th mid-20 th cntury, Long Island mrgd as th nation s first modrn suburban landscap, with a potnt combination of attractiv amnitis such as affordabl homs, strong public schools, accss to natur, good highways, and proximity to Nw York City. Long Island grw rapidly astward. Incoms ros, houss got biggr, and th on-car family bcam th two-, thr-, and four-car familis of today. By th bginning of th 21 st cntury, howvr, it was clar this growth modl was no longr working. Opn spac was dwindling, ncroachd on by nw subdivisions. Rsidnts had to driv longr distancs for mploymnt or srvics, choking major highways and local roads in traffic. Th scarcity of affordabl rntal housing mad it difficult for young adults to find thir own homs on th island. Sgrgatd communitis and school districts prvntd th growing Hispanic and black populations from accssing good schools, housing, and jobs. Proprty taxs soard as conomic growth slowd. In 2012, Suprstorm Sandy causd widsprad dstruction on Long Island and brought hom th rality of th thrat posd by climat chang. With ovr 1,000 mils of coastlin, th island is particularly vulnrabl. By 2050, mor than 90,000 Long Island homs could b vulnrabl to flooding from mor frqunt and intns storms, up from around 60,000 today. Long Island has alrady bgun a transformation in rspons to ths challngs. Villags including Patchogu and Wstbury hav rvitalizd thir downtown aras and shown that walkabl communitis with affordabl multifamily housing can improv suburban living. Amityvill, Gln Cov, and othr placs ar undrgoing similar chang. Many coastal communitis such as Long Bach and Mastic Bach hav bgun intgrating rsilinc masurs into local planning. Still, th pac of chang is slow. Zoning cods, for xampl, still prohibit or gratly rstrict multifamily housing in too many downtowns and around too many train stations. Towns and villags nd mor hlp to prpar for climat chang, and hav barly bgun coordinating vn though th most ffctiv solutions oftn rquir cross-municipal collaboration. Fw attmpts ar bing mad to us nw tchnologis to addrss traffic congstion and parking. Transportation projcts alrady undrway will strngthn Long Island s conomy by promoting mor growth around train stations. Long Island Rail Road s East Sid Accss projct will allow ridrs to travl dirctly to Grand Cntral Trminal, saving as much as 40 minuts a day and boosting proprty valus nar stations. A third track on LIRR s Main Lin will improv rliability and srvic into job cntrs lik Minola and Hicksvill. And a scond track from Farmingdal to Ronkonkoma will improv srvic btwn Long Island s largst concntration of jobs along Rout 110, and Suffolk County s busist rail station and airport. Togthr, ths projcts should lad to th cration of many mor jobs, homs, stors, and srvics around LIRR stations. Whil ths transportation projcts ar sorly ndd, thy won t solv all of Long Island s transportation problms. North-south transit links will still b scarc, and travling th last mil from th train station to hom or work will still b challnging without a car. And as srvic improvs and ridrship grows, additional train capacity will b ndd through Quns and into Pnn Station. Th Fourth Rgional Plan s rcommndations build on Long Island s rcnt succsss and nabl it to bcom th modl for a sustainabl and quitabl 21 st cntury suburb. Conncting and xpanding th rgion s thr commutr rails into on rgional rail systm would incras th frquncy of trains, and allow ridrs to travl dirctly to dstinations throughout th rgion. Intgrating affordabl, on-dmand srvics into last-mil transportation stratgis, along with improvd bus srvic and bttr north-south rail links, would xpand travl options and rduc th nd for parking. Divrting car trips to transit, stratgically upgrading componnts of th highway ntwork, and using tolling basd on tim of day and traffic lvls would rduc congstion on th island s ovrcrowdd highways and also rduc air pollution. Shifting mor of th rsponsibility for ducation funding from local school districts to th stat and ncouraging school district consolidation would rliv local proprty tax burdns and improv ducational outcoms in low-prforming schools. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 331

47 Allowing multifamily housing such as townhouss and gardn apartmnts nar vry train station, and rquiring all nw housing projcts to includ low and modrat-incom homs would mak housing mor affordabl for popl of diffrnt incoms. A nw Rgional Coastal Commission, backd by a stat adaptation trust fund, would hlp Long Island towns and villags coordinat and implmnt stratgis to dal with th impacts of climat chang across municipal boundaris. In th longr trm, som communitis will nd to b supportd in thir fforts to transition away from th aras at vry high risk of sa-lvl ris and storm surg with mor ffctiv buyout programs, for xampl, and assistanc to socially vulnrabl rsidnts. Conncting mor Long Island nighborhoods to coastal aras and parks with a ntwork of accssibl walking and biking trails would improv rcration options, mak rsidnts halthir, and support th island s tourist conomy. Ronkonkoma Ronkonkoma is hom to th scond busist Long Island Rail Road station outsid of Nw York City as wll as MacArthur Airport. Ths two critical componnts of th rgion s transportation ntwork provid th cntral Suffolk County hamlt th opportunity to bcom a focal point of a growing Long Island conomy. Th compltion of a third track on th Long Island Rail Road s main lin and a scond track from Farmingdal to Ronkonkoma will also mak it possibl to support mor homs, offics, rtail, and ntrtainmnt in th ara. Alrady, a nw walkabl, mixd-us community of 1,400 nw homs and mor than 500,000 squar ft of commrcial spac has bn approvd by th town of Brookhavn. Planning is also undrway by th town of Islip and Suffolk County, in consultation with th Ronkonkoma community, to xpand this hub, improving connctions to MacArthur Airport and othr activity cntrs in th community. Th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan would nabl Ronkonkoma to sustainably support this growth whil improving local conditions for xisting rsidnts. Policis to promot th us of shard, on-dmand vhicls to improv accss to th Ronkonkoma station should b linkd with fforts to transform station-ara parking into mixd-us dvlopmnts, community amnitis, and park spac. Affordabl housing and fair housing policis should b mphasizd to mak Ronkonkoma work for vryon. Imags: Rndrings from Brookhavn mastr plan; prcdnt photo for nw community (link to Rmak Auto-Dpndnt Landscaps) (link to Expand th Transit Systm with Affordabl On- Dmand Srvic) (link to Build Affordabl Homs in All Communitis). Rt. 110 In just a 15-mil strtch, Rout 110 is hom to 30 prcnt of all jobs in Suffolk County. From Amityvill on th South Shor to Huntington on th North Shor, Rout 110 taks in a varid suburban landscap of commrcial strips and shopping cntrs, walkabl main strts, gritty industrial districts, tidy offic parks, townhouss, and nighborhoods with singl-family homs. Lik othr intnsly dvlopd highway corridors across th rgion, thr is significant potntial for transit-orintd growth along Rout 110. In addition to th thr Long Island Rail Road lins that cross th corridor, thr is also th potntial for nw Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along Rout 110 (a study by Suffolk County, in collaboration with th Towns of Babylon and Huntington, is undrway). RPA analysis found that an additional 4.8 million squar ft of offic spac, 1.3 million squar ft of rtail spac, 800,000 squar ft of industrial spac could b built around transit in th corridor, as wll as nw rsidntial dvlopmnt. Rcommndations in th Fourth Plan would hlp advanc th transformation of Rout 110 by idntifying ways to rform land-us rgulations and dsign guidlins to promot building walkabl, transit-orintd communitis, particularly in placs lik th Huntington Quadrangl and th four cornrs at Conklin. Nw York Stat and Suffolk County dpartmnts of transportation must adopt and implmnt dsign standards for complt strts to bttr connct th corridor to adjacnt nighborhoods and othr narby dstinations such as Rpublic Airport and Farmingdal Stat Collg. Th Fourth Plan s rcommndations would support th rdvlopmnt of Rout 110 into a transit-orintd corridor with calls for nw stat highway dsign guidlins and incrasd focus on transit-orintd dvlopmnt by rgional transportation agncis. Th plan also includs combind mobility stratgis to samlssly link diffrnt mods of transportation, including car and bik sharing, on-dmand car srvics, and shuttls. Highway rcommndations would 332 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

48 rduc congstion on Rout 110 and othr major highways. If th progrss alrady undrway continus, Rout 110 could bcom a modl for similar transit, conomic, and rsidntial corridors throughout th rgion. Hicksvill Hicksvill, whr th Ronkonkoma and th Port Jffrson LIRR lins convrg into th Main Lin, is th busist rail hub on Long Island, and also on of its largst cntrs for bus travl. By th arly 2020s, thr nw infrastructur projcts that will furthr incras Hicksvill s potntial to bcom a major mploymnt cntr will b compltd: East Sid Accss, which will connct th LIRR to East Midtown in Manhattan; a third track on th Main Lin, which will nabl mor rvrs and intra-island commuts; and a scond track to Ronkonkoma, which will improv capacity and rliability on th LIRR s most crowdd lin. A $121 million dollar rnovation of th Hicksvill Station is alrady undrway. With ampl room to add nw dvlopmnt on parking lots and undrutilizd proprtis nar its multimodal train and bus stations, Hicksvill is poisd for growth. Communitybasd rvitalization plans for mor commrcial spac, nw homs, parks, and community srvics in downtown Hicksvill look promising. Proposals in th Fourth Rgional Plan would hlp Hicksvill build on ths plans. Statwid inclusionary zoning, for xampl, would nsur Hicksvill s nw homs support a mix of familis. Rcommndations about strt rdsign could mak Hicksvill mor walkabl, grn, and halthy as th ara is rdvlopd. Larg commutr parking lots could b convrtd to stors, offics, homs, and parks, and intgratd into Hicksvill s downtown if th city is abl to tak advantag of tchnology-nabld shard car srvics and drivrlss cars instad of bing ovrwhlmd by th traffic thy could bring. With its cntral location and accss to rsarch facilitis, tchnology companis and workrs from throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Nw York City, Hicksvill could bcom th hub of an innovation conomy on Long Island. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 333

49 Conncticut Transition to a dynamic and divrs conomy Southwstrn Conncticut s proximity to Nw York City, and its historic citis and villags, coastlin, and natural bauty hav long attractd popl and businsss. During th lat 20 th cntury, Conncticut bcam th hadquartrs of many larg corporations, and was rnownd for its xcllnt suburban schools, strong industrial bas, and high quality of lif. Whil citis lik Nw Havn and Bridgport lost jobs and population, th rst of th stat prosprd with th highst pr-capita incom in th nation. But ovr th last dcad, many of th forcs that proplld Conncticut s conomy now pos challngs to its futur succss. Fortun 500 companis ar no longr clamoring for spac in auto-dpndnt suburban offic parks, prfrring vibrant citis instad. Whil som Conncticut citis lik Stamford ar attracting nw businsss and talntd workrs, othrs continu to struggl aftr dcads of disinvstmnt and industrial downsizing. Manwhil, public schools ar suffring du to insufficint rsourcs. In many prosprous suburban aras with good schools, rsidnts ar rsisting multifamily or affordabl housing. Som ar rsistant to any commrcial activitis. Conncticut rlis havily on its roadway infrastructur, much of which is congstd and in poor condition. Yt it is th only stat in th rgion without highway tolls. Mtro- North is chronically undrfundd, and srvic is dtriorating. Coastal communitis ar vulnrabl to storms, flooding, and sa-lvl ris du to climat chang. And whil significant invstmnts ar bing mad to incras rsilinc, municipal fforts to plan and adapt rmain uncoordinatd. Conncticut has bn slow to capitaliz on th incrasd dmand for walkabl downtowns and nighborhoods by allowing for mor multifamily homs and mixd-us dvlopmnt. Aligning local land-us and statwid conomic dvlopmnt stratgis is difficult. And without countylvl govrnmnt or strong stat-lvl planning capacity, cross-jurisdictional coordination is wak. Th stat has also invstd rlativly littl in nw infrastructur. Th Fourth Rgional Plan proposs actions that would hlp Conncticut build mor affordabl housing in all communitis, capitaliz on mixd-us, mixd-incom downtowns, and invst in a rliabl transportation systm. Th rcommndations in th Fourth Plan would hlp mitigat th impact of a changing climat, improv halth by rducing pollution and promoting physical activity, and rduc long-standing racial and conomic inquality. Proposd invstmnts in Mtro-North s Nw Havn Lin would improv intr-city srvic, rduc travl travl tim btwn rgional hubs in Conncticut, and provid a dirct connction to Nw York City. Conncting commutr rail into an intgratd rgional rail systm would giv Conncticut citis bttr accss to dstinations throughout th tri-stat ara. Mor inclusiv local planning would crat dynamic communitis with gratr housing choic and conomic opportunitis. Stat incntivs would fostr mor walkabl communitis, and bring work and rcrational opportunitis closr to whr popl liv. On a stat and rgional lvl, invstmnts and zoning changs would incras rntal and affordabl housing options, rduc housing costs, and ncourag conomic growth. Th plan ncourags partnrships btwn municipalitis, local rsidnts, and anchor institutions, such as hospitals and univrsitis, to incras capital and human rsourc invstmnts. Ths institutions ar oftn a community s largst mployr, and partnrships with local govrnmnt and nighborhoods can crat addd valu through local hiring and purchasing, as wll as housing and infrastructur invstmnts. Curbing an ovrrlianc on proprty taxs to fund local srvics would rduc inquitis btwn rich and poor communitis, nhanc housing production, and rduc sprawl. This can b achivd if th stat govrnmnt assums a largr shar of local school budgts, incrass incntivs for shard srvics, and ncourags municipalitis to divrsify sourcs of rvnu (with incom taxs or sals taxs) or mor innovativ proprty tax structurs. Providing rsourcs, incntivs, and guidlins for school districts to consolidat and shar programs and srvics would rduc costs, as wll as disparitis btwn urban and suburban school districts that undrmin qual opportunity and workforc skills. 334 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan

50 A rgional coastal commission and stat adaptation fund would hlp communitis prpar for rising sas and mor intns storms mor ffctivly, and promot grn infrastructur in citis. Stamford Stamford holds a strong position in th rgion s conomy. Just 47 minuts from Grand Cntral Trminal on Mtro- North s Nw Havn Lin, th city is an attractiv and affordabl urban cntr for popl and companis looking for a dynamic, smallr-scal city within asy rach of Manhattan. Ovr th last 15 yars, Stamford has bn a national modl for mixd-us and mixd-incom districts. Th city s 2002 Mastr Plan laid th foundation for narly $6 billion in nw dvlopmnt within a half-mil of th Stamford Transportation Cntr, th busist train station on th Nw Havn lin. This has bn a ky lmnt of th Work, Liv, Play, Larn nvironmnt cratd in Stamford s downtown and South End. Ovr th past dcad, Stamford has xpandd its growth stratgy to attract a widr varity of businsss such as tchnology companis, smallr ntrprnurs, and makr industris. To do this, th city has focusd on th built nvironmnt, adding nw housing in th South End and downtown, and nhancing pdstrian and transit connctions within and btwn ths aras. Sinc 2010, mor than 2,500 nw apartmnts and 450,000 squar ft of commrcial spac hav bn built in th South End, with an additional 1,580 apartmnts downtown. Plus, th Univrsity of Conncticut rcntly opnd a dormitory for 300 studnts on its downtown campus. Svral rcommndations in th Fourth Rgional Plan would bnfit Stamford, including significant infrastructur upgrads to th Nw Havn lin, and proposals to provid bttr transit srvic. Th Stamford Transportation Cntr nds to b rnovatd and rimagind as a gatway to th city, wlcoming popl and conncting downtown to th South End, both visually and functionally. Strts should b rdsignd to mphasiz walking, biking, and bus us. As shard, on-dmand, and ultimatly, drivrlss vhicls bcom mor common, and as mor popl walk and bik, Stamford should rpurpos parking spacs (on- and offstrt) for nw dvlopmnt and grn infrastructur. Stamford also nds to continu building affordabl housing as prosprity drivs incrass in proprty valus. With an xtrmly low rtail vacancy rat, Stamford should prioritiz maintaining affordabl ground-floor rtail spac in downtown and th South End. Stamford. Photo: CTDOT Photo: Shinya Suzuk (flickr) Norwalk Downtown Norwalk s pdstrian scal, historic buildings, divrs housing stock, and stratgic location at th crossroads of Conncticut s highway and rail ntworks hav hlpd position it to bcom a rgional mploymnt hub. Th city s walkabl and livly nighborhoods hav attractd start-ups and ntrprnurs looking for a livly and divrs urban nvironmnt to incubat idas and grow companis. In particular, th aras around th city s South Norwalk and Mrritt 7 train stations, as wll as th Wst Avnu and Wall Strt nighborhoods, hav sn substantial invstmnt and job growth ovr th last dcad. Mrritt 7 has bcom a flagship corporat offic park for rgional and national tch companis. Sinc th Norwalk Maritim Aquarium opnd in th lat 1980s, 500 nw apartmnts hav bn built in th South Norwalk nighborhood. Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan 335

51 Nw Havn Washington Villag. Imag: Icon Architctur A rcnt grant from th U.S. Dpartmnt of Housing and Urban Dvlopmnt will lvrag $414 million in public and privat funds to transform th Washington Villag public housing sit into a mixd-incom community. In th Wst Avnu-Wall Strt nighborhood, anchord by Matthws Park and Stpping Stons Musum for Childrn, mor than 775 nw apartmnt units hav bn built sinc On Wall Strt, th historic Glob Thatr is xpctd to bcom th anchor for a growing arts community with shard workspacs and housing for a divrs mix of rsidnts. Implmntation of th rcommndations of th Fourth Rgional Plan would hlp Norwalk furthr capitaliz on ths assts. High-spd broadband would hlp attract mor businsss in th crativ and tchnology sctors and clos th digital divid btwn high- and low-incom housholds. Improvd commutr rail srvic, affordabl ondmand car srvic, and proactiv planning for autonomous vhicls would strngthn Norwalk s position in th rgion as an accssibl and attractiv plac to liv, work, and play. Support for community-cntrd arts and cultur would lvrag Norwalk s rol as a hub of crativ industris and improv community cohsion. Strts dsignd for popl mphasizing walking, biking, public transit, and grn infrastructur would nhanc rsidnts wll-bing and improv stormwatr managmnt and rsilincy. On of th kys to Nw Havn s futur is bttr transit accss both within th city and to othr parts of th rgion. Th city has major plans to invst in Union Station rnovating th historic station building, providing bttr passngr amnitis, and crating parking facilitis that bttr fit a downtown railway station. Th station will also b bttr connctd to both th Hill and downtown with mor activ, pdstrianfrindly strts and bttr bus accss. Also undrway ar an ambitious dvlopmnt plan for 3,400 homs and 3,000 jobs, a nw Union Squar Park, and th transformation of Rout 34, a major highway biscting th city, into a boulvard with mor spac for apartmnt and offic buildings. Th rcommndations in th Fourth Rgional Plan would acclrat Nw Havn s rol as a major transit hub for th stat and th rgion with upgradd commutr, rgional, and high-spd rail srvic along th Nw Havn Lin. Improvd srvics would allow for fastr rgional travl btwn Nw Havn and Nw York City; mor frqunt commutr srvic and incrasd capacity btwn Nw Havn and othr Conncticut citis, including Stamford and Bridgport; and highr-spd srvic btwn Nw York City and Boston. Th Fourth Plan s rcommndations also dtail how citis should plan to tak advantag of rid-hailing srvics and ultimatly, shard, drivrlss vhicls. With th right rgulatory structurs, ths srvics could improv accss to Union Station and th station ara itslf, as dmand for narby parking dclins and mor spac bcoms availabl for homs, rstaurants, offics, and parks. Nw Havn should continu to dvlop mor complt, mixd-incom nighborhoods to promot quitabl job accss and conomic growth. Nw dvlopmnt should incorporat grn infrastructur to mitigat rising tmpraturs and rduc flooding causd by climat chang. A stat adaptation fund ovrsn by a Rgional Coastal Commission could hlp acclrat ths and othr climat-adaptation projcts and hlp provid financing. 336 Rgional Plan Association Th Fourth Rgional Plan