Two Queens park projects win prizes for sustainability and design

Hunters Point South Park, pictured here, is one of two Queens projects awarded for sustainable design.

Photos via PDC

By Rachel Vick

Two Queens sustainability projects have been recognized as part of New York City’s 38th Annual Awards for Excellence in Design, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday.

The Michaelis-Bayswater Park Reconstruction and the Hunters Point South Waterfront Park were among the 11 urban design efforts honored by the city Public Design Commission in recognition of their environmental resiliency and impressive design.

“The projects awarded today will help us celebrate our heritage, embrace outdoor space, and give New Yorkers the beautiful and healthy neighborhoods they deserve,” de Blasio said.

Michaelis-Bayswater Park Reconstruction plan won a design award for proactively protecting the 30-acre park from flood damage. The 30-acre park on the bay side of the Rockaway Peninsula incorporates green infrastructure to protect the area from flood damage. The project design was informed by direct engagement with the community.

Work on the 11-acre Hunters Point South Waterfront Park and Streetscape received a special recognition award for a design that includes a wide range of recreational options like a dog run, bikeway and waterside promenade on a former abandoned industrial strip. City workers planted natural marshland flora to revitalize the waterfront ecology and clean the river while acting as a natural buffer against storms. 

The city presented this year’s awards to projects that exemplify the intersection of functionality  and longevity. Winning designs uphold the goals of OneNYC 2050, a plan to cut carbon emissions over the next 30 years, and the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations, Public Design Commission said.

The innovative designs prove that New York “can accelerate a green recovery, achieve justice for our communities on the front lines of our climate crisis, and ensure a livable future for the next generation,” said Daniel Zarrilli, New York City's chief climate policy advisor and OneNYC director.  

"As we face down a looming climate crisis amid a void of federal leadership, cities all across the globe are stepping up to take action and advance climate solutions," he added.