WXY led a multi-disciplinary consultant team to create the East River Blueway Plan. The plan addressed Manhattan’s East River waterfront between the Brooklyn Bridge and East 38th Street. The project was funded by the New York Department of State Division of Coastal Resources.

The plan provides a vision for an accessible and dynamic waterfront that also aims to protect critical infrastructure, attenuate storm surges and help manage frequent stormwater issues. This plan also responds to the challenges of extreme weather events and gradual sea level rise. Even as New Yorkers begin to enjoy their waterfront, the city must now respond to the new paradigm of climate change.

The local community played a key role in shaping this vision. The East River Blueway Plan represents over a year of public consultations. The plan takes into account suggestions and feedback gathered from dozens of stakeholder meetings, multiple public workshops and a major online outreach program which include a website with an interactive map, survey and a social media strategy.