In the past months several community workshops have provided insight into how this public space would best be realized. A set of shared values was established, reflecting the desires and ideas of the participants in the community meetings. Those values are: creating open space; environmental benefits; urban mobility; culture, education, recreation; safety, security, accessibility; and connecting communities.
The design of the Gateway to Greenpoint brings together the ideas and feedback that came out of the community workshops and stakeholder meetings, and channels them into an integrated approach to the redevelopment of the site as a public space. It provides shelter for commuters waiting for the bus on Greenpoint Avenue, spaces for gathering for cultural events and educational activities, and shade and seating for workers on their lunch breaks and visitors to the Nature Walk. It incorporates environmental features, including a terraced green infrastructure garden and permeable ground surfaces for managing stormwater, native grasses, shrubs, and trees, and a wildflower garden for pollinator habitat. The design connects to existing pedestrian and bicycle routes to create a point of entry to the growing network of open spaces along the Newtown Creek, such as Kingsland Wildflowers and the Nature Walk. Lastly, it provides a model for developing green space in industrial areas that serves everyone who lives and works in the neighborhood.
The Greenline 