Brooklyn Strand

10 Reconnecting Neighborhoods
Overview:
Current Conditions:
Opportunity:
Downtown Brooklyn and surrounding neighborhoods currently lack
connections to the waterfront and to each other. Discontinuous street
fabric, poor-quality streetscapes and limited park access are key
challenges in the area today.
The BQE’s ramps and interchanges separate neighborhoods and limit access
to park space. The Manhattan Bridge divides surrounding areas east-west,
particularly at Nassau St where there are currently two exit-ramps one block
apart. Streets with wide roadbeds, narrow sidewalks and a lack of amenities and
services also limit neighborhood connectivity. Fences and limited ADA access is
a challenge for certain park spaces.
The larger vision to reconnect neighborhoods aims to improve connections
between parks and the neighborhoods they serve. This recommendation
also highlights the opportunity to unlock large areas of publicly-owned,
currently inaccessible land through the reconfiguration of BQE and Manhattan
Bridge ramps. Throughout the Strand, there are opportunities to widen
sidewalks to promote pedestrian activity and to enhance bike networks. The
current insufficiency of local businesses, such as grocers and laundromats,
and affordable housing – gaps identified by the community – are all being
considered as potential economic opportunities along streets like Sands St,
Navy St, and Tillary St.
Brooklyn Strand Urban Design Action Plan — May 2016
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