#realestate #waterfront #cities #ecology #nature
“Exploring some of the upcoming waterfront projects that marry eco-living and livability, while promoting the economies of cities“–Paul Ebeling
New water-adjacent developments around the world seek to revitalize their cities by merging design and nature and creating closer connections between land and water. These Key waterfront projects are set to give cities a much-needed boost to their economies while respecting Mother Nature.
A successful waterfront development can bring economic activity and improve the quality of livelihood in a city. These developments tend to contain a balance of uses that bring a mix of people into an area, combining public spaces, commercial and residential properties, and retail and cultural activities that can ensure sustained development and economic viability.
The best waterfront solutions put public goals 1st, they take a holistic approach, right from the development of a master plan to a project’s implementation. As more cities envision their waterfronts as lively public destinations that keep people coming back, some of the most ambitious future waterfront developments around the world are emerging to transform waterfront sites into vibrant locations, paying respect to the local waterscapes through a balanced mix of tradition and modernity.
Here, I look at the most ambitious upcoming projects that are set to transform their waterfronts into livable and vibrant destinations of the future, as follows:
New York seeks to create a living waterfront, restore natural habitats, and elevate the standard for urban waterfront resiliency. BIG’s River Street Waterfront Master Plan vision, in collaboration with Two Trees Management and James Corner Field Operations, enhances the connectivity of the public waterfront and intends to complete the continuous waterfront that stretches from Bushwick Inlet Park to Domino Park, addressing a major missing link in the public route from Williamsburg to Greenpoint. The Master Plan extends the urban connection from the city grid out toward the water, encouraging people to explore the ecological park.
Architectural firm UNStudio has been selected as the winner in the competition for the development of Sochi Waterfront on the Russian Black Sea coast. The proposal reimagines the Sochi Coast into SoCo: the ultimate destination designed to create opportunities for locals and attractions for visitors.
Providing a well-balanced combination of principally flexible program components, the development will ensure 24-hr activity and winter-summer transitions that are organic, versatile, and engaging. The mix of activities and uses rebrands Sochi as a vibrant and inclusive destination that focuses on hospitality, business, and culture while benefitting from the grand cultural legacy of the existing context of the city. The long-term goal of the master plan is to make Sochi a progressive and international harbor for culture, technology, health, and innovation and to enrich the life of the local community and visitors.
For the new cultural complex and park along the waterfront in Shenzhen, China, architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects envisioned an ethereal artistic urban landscape that juxtaposed the ‘ancient’ and the ‘future’. “I wanted to create a surreal atmosphere, so that the people who visit, relax or exercise here have the possibility of engaging in a dialogue with the past and the future. Time and space are dissolved and placed against each other, manifesting a sense of weightlessness, and unrestrained imagination,” says Ma Yansong.
Expected to be completed in Y 2023, the development includes the Creative Design Hall, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum, and an expansive public green space stretching beside the waterfront. With the park serving as an extension of the city’s main road towards the water, pedestrian walkways and cycling paths weave between the buildings and across the sprawling lawn space, providing citizens with an expansive recreational space.
Have a happy, prosperous weekend, Keep the Faith!
