New York's commercial needs were served for almost three hundred years by the waterfront, and the community wished to preserve a memory of this time. Developers understandably wanted to make money from the space. Residents wanted green areas, while concerns were raised about forced gentrification of the community and some residents wanted more housing. The book by Henrik Krogius and Joanne Witty details their participation in and recording of the planning system, challenges, proposals and building of the park on the west side of the Brooklyn land mass, which stretches 1.3 miles along the East River waterfront. A condition of government support for the park, was that the project had to pay for the park's upkeep. This turned out to mean housing, with successive mayors wanting high-rise or affordable homes. With the government taking over, decisions were made more quickly, but tended to involve less input from the local community. In the middle of the action arrived Superstorm Sandy.

I really like the old photos which show the waterfront and piers, the changing Manhattan skyline and the attempt to stock containers which proved unworkable. Recently I visited Liverpool which lost its harbor and warehousing for the exact same reason. Liverpool has created museums and office spaces to revitalize the former warehousing. The Brooklyn residents were incensed by the initial plan to build seventy-foot structures along the water, as the residents would lose their view. The piers also presented difficulties for preservation. The first technical plan for a park was submitted in 1988, with added skating rink, marina and shops to generate income. How the project trailed and was altered for years before reaching the splendid amenity seen today is a wonderful and absorbing story. Two long rectangular tulip beds were created as a remembrance of the Twin Towers, the first physical sign of a park. Sensibly, the work was kicked to start before all the funding was in place, and concentrated on the areas most accessible to the public. Color photos show today's visitors enjoying the various activities including an open air concert.

The authors tell us that democracy and human nature won the park from hard-pressed governments and profit-seekers. I am personally delighted that space was provided for nature to flourish. 'Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront' by Heather Wolf which I recently reviewed for Fresh Fiction, demonstrates how the park is a haven for migrating and resident birds as well as for birdwatchers. BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK by Henrik Krogius and Joanne Witty will be enjoyed by anyone interested in history, city planning, revitalization of derelict spaces and in local activism.

Book Summary