When it opened in 1940, the Shore Parkway section of the Belt Parkway system connected Lower Manhattan with Queens, traveling 16 miles along the southern shoreline of Brooklyn. It represented both an innovative design, based in part on carriage and pedestrian-oriented parkways of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as illustrating then Transportation and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses’ vision for a comprehensive parkway system for metropolitan New York. This characteristic scenic drive had open views to the water, parallel systems of bicycle and pedestrian paths, and connections to a group of adjacent parks.

Our plan reimagined the urban parkway for the 21st century. Building the new Shore Parkway, W planted successional landscapes of native species, selectively edited invasive species, restored damaged habitats and tidal marshes, mitigated flood impact and reoriented residents to the parkway through a network of pedestrian and cycling paths. Over 4,000 new trees were planted to transform the parkway into an adaptable maritime forest that creates new viewsheds and a range of habitats for both human and non-human park goers to enjoy.