Addressing Sensitivities to Urban Development: Lessons from the South Bronx Greenway Master Plan

Urban revitalization is inherently complex, and yet it is often viewed solely through the lens of economic growth and infrastructural development. Deeper underlying concerns, such as gentrification and community displacement, go unaddressed. Historically diverse neighborhoods like the South Bronx in New York City, which have endured several transformations, often find themselves at the center of such development pressures. The South Bronx Greenway Master Plan is a case study on how the balance and engagement between community partnerships, local politicians, and agency cooperation allow the plan to balance the demands of economic growth with the need for inclusivity, community preservation, and ecological resilience.

The South Bronx, with its industrial roots, has been a symbol of economic activity, but also socioeconomic disparity. Its history includes disinvestment and neglect with periods of migration and cultural diversity that helped shape its greater identity.

The South Bronx Greenway Master Plan, introduced in 2004 was an outgrowth of a broader initiative to revitalize an area affected by long standing industrial activity, environmental challenges, and limited accessible green spaces.

The Master Plan’s goals were to improve connectivity, beautify public spaces, and address ecological degradation with mindfulness toward the community’s distinct identity and worry about displacement. The development didn’t consist of just a physical transformation; it needed to be a social change that respected the inclusiveness of the area’s residents.

Historical and Present-Day Contexts

To fully appreciate the South Bronx’s present-day context, it’s important to reflect on its industrial peak. Because of its proximity to the waterfront and major infrastructure routes, The Bronx flourished as a hub for manufacturing and shipping. Over time, the South Bronx carried the weight of extensive infrastructure projects, with Hunts Point bearing an intense industrial legacy that left lasting environmental impacts. While certain areas north and west of the peninsula experienced the “Bronx is Burning” era of the 1970s, Hunts Point’s story is one of resilience amidst industrial pollution and limited green space, raising a need for community-centered revitalization.

Beneath it all was a community with deep roots, cultural resilience, and a desire for revitalization. The demand for accessible public open spaces came from community members themselves– and not external developers as one may think. This grassroots momentum fueled the South Bronx Greenway Master Plan, which aimed to create a network of public open spaces that addressed the growing need for safer community gathering and recreation areas

MNLA’s involvement began at a pivotal moment, when public interest and political will converged to drive meaningful change. With a commitment to thoughtful community-driven design, the firm worked alongside community members and local leaders to design spaces that the neighborhood both needed and supported.

Master Plan Objectives and Projects

The South Bronx Greenway Master Plan aimed to revitalize the Hunts Point and Port Morris neighborhoods, and it manifested through a series of projects that significantly impacted the South Bronx.  Through careful planning and design this initiative sought to improve quality-of-life for residents and workers, demonstrating how the community can carve out new safer connections and public open spaces within dense urban and industrial neighborhoods. Other, more recent MNLA projects across New York City, including Clivner=Field Plaza at Baruch College and Madison Square Flatiron Plaza Reconstruction, build on the principles of pedestrian and multi-modal networks initially demonstrated in the South Bronx.

Hunts Point Landing

A significant piece of the Greenway Master Plan, Hunts Point Landing (HPL) turned a formerly demapped street and industrial site into a vibrant public space. The site became a community gathering area and recreational space with a design that integrated ecological restoration efforts. At the water’s edge, habitats were restored to improve biodiversity, while upland areas were converted to open spaces with native plantings, shaded seating and picnic tables, and pathways. Clivner=Field Plaza at Baruch College created a permanent pedestrian plaza on East 25th Street, closed to vehicular traffic, in a community district with the least amount of open space in New York City. The new plaza offered a safe, vibrant, multi-use space for students and the local community. Both HPL and Baruch offer public space to a community that needs such areas.

Randall’s Island Connector

Another transformative piece of the Plan, this project physically linked the South Bronx to Randall’s Island, a green space previously out of reach for many residents. By creating a safe pedestrian and cycling path, MNLA gave residents access to recreational facilities and natural environments that were previously beyond their grasp. The connector repurposed existing hardscapes and infrastructure and demonstrated how thoughtful design can reconnect fragmented communities to nature and recreation.

Food Center Drive

The reconfiguration of Food Center Drive introduced traffic-calming measures and safer cycling and pedestrian zones, catering to Hunts Point workers and the surrounding community. This approach extends to the Madison Square Flatiron Plaza, a Vision Zero initiative that prioritizes pedestrian and cyclist safety through traffic calming and circulation improvements. The Flatiron project serves as a model for other pedestrian-centric streetscapes along Broadway.

Lafayette Avenue, Spofford Avenue, and other Streetscapes

MNLA’s streetscape upgrades on these avenues integrated permeable paving and a varied tree canopy, significantly reducing the urban heat island effect and enhancing stormwater management. As landscape architects, MNLA has been advocating for these green infrastructure concepts for over 30 years. This commitment is evident in the Bronx’s expanding tree canopy, which provides shade and mitigates heat, alongside porous paving and tree pits that absorb rainfall from increasing storm events. These elements, also seen in the Flatiron Plaza Reconstruction’s pedestrian enhancements and shaded seating areas, demonstrate the value of sustainable urban design.

Community Involvement

A remarkable aspect of the South Bronx Greenway Master Plan was its commitment to community involvement. MNLA engaged local residents, advocacy groups, and neighborhood leaders to ensure the design would meet their needs and aspirations.

MNLA held workshops, public meetings, and on-the-ground collaborations with these community members to identify the Plan’s three key priorities: access to open spaces, safety, and recreational opportunities. In doing so, MNLA garnered support for the Greenway and addressed concerns about potential gentrification and displacement.

The firm worked to align the Greenway’s development with broader policies aimed at protecting existing residents. Affordable housing advocacy, small business support, and local hiring initiatives were among the strategies used to mitigate displacement pressures.

Ecological Considerations

The South Bronx Greenway was a social, infrastructural, and ecological project. Environmental challenges including pollution, degraded waterfronts, a lack of green space and poor stormwater management posed significant threats to the area.

MNLA’s design interventions addressed these challenges by introducing native plantings to restore biodiversity and green infrastructure, such as bioswales and permeable pavement, helping to manage stormwater and reduce the impact of flooding. Additionally, shoreline restoration projects improved water quality and created new habitats for aquatic species.

Social, Economic and Developmental Pressures

What can be an adverse effect of proactive planning and implementation is the potential for gentrification, where improvements to a neighborhood can cause property values to spike and displace existing residents. The South Bronx was no exception; its residents were concerned about increasing rents and the loss of affordable housing.

The political and economic landscape during the planning phase was critical. To secure funding for the Greenway required buy-in from several stakeholders, including local officials, community groups and private investors. Aligning the Plan’s objectives with broader policy goals like improving public health, increasing green space and promoting environmental resilience helped build a coalition of support around the project and was vital in its resulting success.

Conclusion

The South Bronx Greenway Master Plan remains a premier example of successful urban revitalization that continues to set the standard for MNLA’s ongoing commitment to community-centered design. A dynamic initiative that blended community engagement, ecological design and strategic infrastructural improvements helped transform the area into a connected, vibrant and resilient community. The project is a case study for the future, similar efforts to create equitable, inclusive and sustainable cities.

Written by Alexis Gagné, LLA, ASLA, Associate Principal and Molly Bourne, RLA, FASLA, Principal at MNLA

Project Data

Landscape architecture: MNLA

Location: Bronx, NYC

Client: NYC EDC

Completed: 2006

Photo credit: Elizabeth Felicella, Barrett Doherty