1. Battery Park City

Perhaps the first of these modern micro-cities, Battery Park City was built on landfill from the excavation of the World Trade Center, the New York Tunnel. Governed by the Battery Park City Authority, the entire 92 acre development took more than two decades to complete. It has two distinct portions. The south side was completed first and is predominantly residential with a smattering of restaurants and shops, a hotel and museum. In between is upscale Brookfield Place. The northern portion is much more dense and more commercial.  Yet overall, one third of Battery Park City is parkland.

The Battery Park City Authority is a public benefit corporation, run by seven board members, appointed by the governor of New York. Revenue generated by the authority is channeled into other building projects around the city.

Apart from having its own governing body, Battery Park City also sits on the Greenwich Street Special Zoning District established by the City Planning Commission. The zoning guidelines are mainly concerned with movement and circulation, including public transportation and pedestrian flows, and encourage open space and pedestrian walkways. These design guidelines manifest into a quasi-suburban district where young families can live, work and play in close proximity to public plazas, as well as an esplanade that allows full access to the entire strip of water front.

Next, learn more about Brooklyn Tech Triangle Strategic Plan, Calls for Ecosystem between Dumbo, Downtown Brooklyn and Navy Yard