THE FUTURE OF THE WORKING WATERFRONT

Beyond the studio proposals and the offshore wind project, UPROSE and Pratt are strategizing together to create a holistic vision for the community. Courtney Knapp, professor at Pratt GCPE and Kresge Grant Fellow, is working on updating the GRID from its original iteration as an opposition alternative to a comprehensive plan. As Knapp noted in our conversation, the planning process considers how to achieve mutual priorities for a just transition into 2050, aligned with many City and State decarbonization goals within this period. “We are not radically changing the 2019 strategy. It retains the core pillars of a just transition and land use and zoning strategies. Still, the new updated plan is more comprehensive and future-oriented, incorporating the progress since 2019,” Knapp said.

The updated GRID will be released in 2023, synthesizing new development and research initiatives. It integrates workforce training goals, identifies key resources needed to finance its development, and further ingrains ancestral knowledge from the Black, Indigenous, and communities of color of Sunset Park into the plan to ground the work. According to Fleming, the update is necessary considering the changing policy environment and available funding sources through the CMA, CLCPA, as well as the federal infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides key revenue sources for climate adaptation.

Beyond the energy industry, burgeoning industries of focus for UPROSE and their partnerships include rooftop solar, green roofs, urban agriculture, and building retrofits. Fleming expressed his excitement about these coalescing opportunities, which have been driven by the GRID. The vision and implementation opportunities demonstrate the viability of climate adaptation, green manufacturing, and blue-collar jobs in Sunset Park and New York City. The critical piece of the puzzle is engaging marginalized communities stuck in cycles of multigenerational poverty and not benefiting from existing economic development by outlining pathways for economic opportunity and community wealth.

Conclusion

Frontline communities like Sunset Park have experienced decades of intentional disinvestment and concentrated extractive industries, resulting in multigenerational poverty and exacerbated environmental justice concerns. With the urgency of compounding crises, bold visions are necessary to ensure a regenerative, just, and equitable future in Sunset Park, New York City, and beyond. UPROSE’s holistic vision for a just transition—driven by decades of community organizing with support from Pratt—contemplates a future that moves beyond climate resilience toward a regenerative economy. This community-driven academic partnership highlights the collective responsibility of planners working with community organizations to execute a comprehensive just transition framework, one that includes opportunities for equitable workforce development, racial justice, and new industries to build community wealth.

MultipliCity is a collaborative effort, and we are honored to have been a part of it this year. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our publication.