“Where We Can All Come Together:” Public Space in Arverne and Edgemere by Judah Y. Asimov ©2020 Judah Y. Asimov A
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“Where We Can All Come Together:” Public Space in Arverne and Edgemere by Judah Y. Asimov ©2020 Judah Y. Asimov A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in City and Regional Planning School of Architecture Pratt Institute February 2020 “Where We Can All Come Together:” Public Space in Arverne and Edgemere by Judah Y. Asimov Received and approved: _______________________________________________________Date_____________ Thesis Advisor Signature _______________________________________________________ Thesis Advisor Name _______________________________________________________Date_____________ Thesis Advisor Signature _______________________________________________________ Thesis Advisor Name _______________________________________________________Date_____________ Chairperson Signature _______________________________________________________ Chairperson Name 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................................... 5 Issue Statement ................................................................................................................................. 5 Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 6 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Literature Review ............................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................. 16 The Rockaways ................................................................................................................................ 16 RISE: Rockaway Initiative For Sustainability and Equity ................................................... 17 An Introduction: Arverne and Edgemere ............................................................................... 18 Area History ..................................................................................................................................... 19 The Public Realm and Built Environment .............................................................................. 21 Area DemograPhics ........................................................................................................................ 26 Key Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................. 29 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Site Selection .................................................................................................................................... 30 Site 1: The Vacant Lot .................................................................................................................... 32 Site 2: Demapped Street ............................................................................................................... 35 Site 3: Commercial Street ............................................................................................................. 40 Key Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................................. 46 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 46 1. Public spaces should engage and strengthen the community .................................... 49 2. Public spaces should be multi-purpose sites that are inclusive, welcoming, and accessible to all residents ............................................................................................................ 55 3. Public spaces should Feel safe and secure ......................................................................... 58 4. Public spaces should be maintained and Foster a sense of community ownershiP ............................................................................................................................................................... 61 5. Public spaces should celebrate neighborhood history and character ..................... 65 6. Public spaces should incorPorate green infrastructure ............................................... 66 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 69 Sources ..................................................................................................................................... 70 3 Acknowledgments I would like to thank all the Pratt GCPE faculty for their support throughout my graduate school career. In particular, I am indebted to my advisors, Beth Bingham and John Shapiro for their guidance, feedback, and constant encouragement. I would also like to thank all of the young people, community members, RISE staff, and issue professionals who shared their opinions and expertise with me. I am particularly thankful to Jeanne DuPont and Ana Fisyak who were always willing to answer questions and repeatedly acted as sounding boards for my many thoughts and ideas. I am also deeply grateful to my family for encouraging me to pursue graduate school and acting as my thesis editors in the final phase of the thesis process. Lastly, I would like to thank my partner, Joe, who is always my number one cheerleader, editor, and supporter from start to finish. 4 Chapter 1 Issue Statement Today, roughly 121,500 year-round residents live in the eleven-mile long Rockaway Peninsula (NYC Planning 2019). Demographically, the Rockaways is largely divided between a wealthier western end, with a higher White population, and a lower- income eastern end, in which a majority of the population are people of color. The client for this study, the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE), is primarily focused on the eastern end of the Peninsula. This study will focus on two particular neighborhoods on the eastern end of the Peninsula, Arverne and Edgemere. Arverne and Edgemere are rapidly growing. Between 2010 and 2017, the population grew by 14-percent compared to 5-percent in New York City overall (ACS 2013-2017). Superstorm Sandy and the recognition of the area’s vulnerability in the face of climate change have not put a damper on this growth. Yet, Arverne and Edgemere have few natural resources aside from the beach and waterfront. There are poor transportation connections, few services, and most job centers are located far away. These qualities, plus the area’s deep vulnerability to rising sea levels, do not make Arverne and Edgemere seem like natural choices for new development, particularly affordable housing development. But, as New York City’s housing affordability crisis deepens, these neighborhoods have one feature that is irresistible to developers and City decision makers: large tracts of vacant, often City- owned land. There is a historical development pattern in the Rockaways, in which minimal attention is paid to the conditions and quality of the public realm and the shared spaces that link together to form a neighborhood. Many of the developments that do exist remain islands in this larger and persistently poor-quality built environment. The result of this inattention to the public realm is that residents are left with few spaces for communal gathering and interaction on the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula. There are few local businesses and commercial streets. There continues to be a significant number of vacant or underutilized lots. The pedestrian infrastructure, like sidewalks and curbs, is nonexistent or in poor repair. Regular tidal flooding and pools of leftover storm water runoff also affect the usability of public spaces. Connectivity is a problem as the street layout involves many difficult and confusing intersections and roads. These conditions have resulted in a dearth of developed and active public spaces. However, to successfully provide new communal gathering places, it is important to understand how existing public spaces are being used and the role they play in the social life of the community so as to employ locally appropriate criteria for creating active public spaces. 5 Goals and Objectives The primary goal of this study is to evaluate public spaces and explore their role in the social and civic life of the Arverne and Edgemere neighborhoods of the Rockaways. Through concrete recommendations, this study aims to advance a vibrant and active public realm that will provide opportunities for resident interactions and empowerment. To reach this goal, the objectives of this research include: • Assessing socioeconomic conditions • Evaluating the current state of public spaces • Understanding how residents