Discussion: Brooklyn Waterfront Can Do Better...much Better

What Brooklyn can learn and do better...the stretch from...to Coney Island

Our Favorite waterfronts: Paris, Porto, London South Bank, Stockholm, Cape Town, Helsinki, Stavanger, Oslo, Bergen, San Francisco, Venice Beach, Sidney, Brisbane, Miami Beach, Halifax, Zurich, Venice, Rio de Janerio, Granville Island, Vancouver

Not so Great: New York City, Amsterdam, San Diego, Hong Kong, Boston, Portland, Maine, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, False Creek,Vancouver, Buenos Aires

The 6 Best Promenades

Stockholm

Promenade with historic boats and restaurants

Only historic boats are allowed to berth on the promenade part of Stockholm's waterfront, meaning that it is always a visual delight.

Takeaway: Connect with other destinations

Stockholm's waterfront is full of restaurants and is uniquely well-connected, with esplanades leading to other beloved public spaces like the Kungsträdgården.

Stockholm's Durgarten Grunalund Amusement Park is also situated right along the water and provides a high-energy activity hub.

Benchmark: San Francisco, California

San Francisco's waterfront sits along the entire city that is very deep and has developed a series of piers and a strong waterfront promenade. These connect with strong inland activity centers that connect into neighborhoods. Altogether, this gives nearby neighborhoods opportunities to engage with and build off of the historic waterfront: a distinction that few other waterfronts have.

Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco's waterfronts are a hub, off of which community activity has continued to grow.

Pier 39

San Francisco's Pier 39 has an abundance of activity, ranging from its aquarium to a carousel, whale tours to encounters with local sea lions.

Connecting with nearby neighborhoods

The activities taking place along the water in San Francisco reach up into the neighborhoods, showing a remarkable sense of connectedness.

Benchmark: London's South Bank

The London Eye

Gabriel's Wharf

Incubation Hub for Small Businesses

Because of its support for small businesses, Gabriel's Wharf is a dynamic spot, filled with artists and independent clothing artisans. It is also right nearby to a line of international food trucks, which link up to create an exciting space.

Food Truck Market

Borough Market

Borough Market is a delight for the senses, and has been for centuries. Along the South Bank Waterfront in London, this is the place to be if you're looking for fresh food. The market is well-connected and boasts a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces (inside the Market Hall and out). Borough Market is one of the most visited destinations in London, and a major attraction along the South Bank.

Intensity of Engagement between people and products is intense

Miami Beach, Florida

With Art Deco buildings lining Ocean Drive on one side, and a park and extensive beach on the other, streets in Miami Beach are not about traffic, but about experiencing the "show" and enjoying the sights. Most buildings have porches to view the passing throngs of visitors.

Miami Beach is a "classic" unlike any other waterfront.

Paris - Bassein de La Villette

The riverfront revival is now spreading to Canal St-Martin, a 3-mile waterway in the north of the city that connects to the Seine.

New playgrounds, exhibits and games along the canal attract many residents from the diverse neighborhoods nearby.

Porto's Historic Old Town:

Inspiration for Doing Density Right

Take Me to the River...every street in Porto's old town leads to the waterfront

Porto, Portugal's second largest city, straddles the Douro River near where it merges into the Atlantic Ocean. The waterfront is gloriously historic. It's easy to imagine what life was like here 150 years ago. The sheer pleasure that arises strolling these streets explains why Porto has become a pilgrimage site for city-loving travelers.

Porto's riverfront fosters activity all year around. Streets cascade down from hilltops to the riverside promenade, which is fronted by cafes, shops and public seating that encourages people to to linger. This district is recognized internationally for bustling public spaces that stretch over a wide geographical footprint, enlivened by three entry points funneling people into every section of the promenade. The rich interplay of all these elements adds up to one of the world's top waterfronts.

Public spaces overlook the water from various vantage points, giving Porto's waterfront the dynamic feel of an amphitheater.

The old town is dotted with small cafes and food kiosks offering refreshment and relaxation.

Plentiful public seating sets the stage for some of the best people-watching in Europe. A near-perfect waterside promenade accommodates two streams of passing pedestrians—one looking out on the water, the other checking out what's happening at outdoor cafes.

A Summary of Takeaways:

The overall idea/finding is that heavily programmed spaces far excel in creating the activity that draws people from every walk of life.

Create iconic places
Focus on multi-use destinations
Bring in pop-up restaurants and cafes
Incorporate public art
Create seating for people
Make the space serve everyone
Think Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper
Make room to incubate businesses
Think Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper
Connect with other destinations
Build on the success of other key public spaces and destinations in your community
Connect with nearby neighborhoods
Make room to incubate businesses

Other Resources for Waterfronts:

To read more about a hidden gem waterfront in Italy, read our article:

The Best and Worst of Waterfronts around the world

Two that Miss the mark

Who we are - What we stand for. What is the Future we Want and Need

The mission of the Social Life Project is to incite a renaissance of community connection in public spaces around the globe. Through our online publication, presentations, campaigns, and catalytic projects, we can create transformative impact on communities everywhere. Our work grows out of more than 50 years devoted to building the global placemaking movement. It is an initiative of the Placemaking Fund, along with PlacemakingX — a global network of leaders who together accelerate placemaking as a way to create healthy, inclusive, and beloved communities. We gladly accept donations to advance our work.