Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park Phase II: Resilient Urban Waterfront Design

Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park Phase II stands as one of New York City’s most forward-thinking examples of resilient urban landscape architecture. Designed to adapt to rising sea levels and increasing storm surges, the park integrates soft-edge shoreline strategies, elevated pathways, and natural wetlands that work together to protect the Long Island City waterfront. This phase extends the park’s original vision by enhancing public access to the East River while embedding nature-based infrastructure throughout the site. Tidal marshes stabilize the coastline, a meandering bioswale improves stormwater management, and restored native plantings promote biodiversity across the urban edge. Elevated promenades and sculpted terraces offer uninterrupted views of the Manhattan skyline, transforming the site into both a social hub and an ecological buffer. What makes this project unique is how seamlessly it merges flood resiliency, recreational space, and ecological regeneration—a benchmark for coastal cities navigating climate adaptation. As a result, Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park Phase II is widely recognized as a blueprint for sustainable waterfront design, offering a living example of how cities can turn vulnerable coastlines into resilient, community-friendly assets.