Jersey City is bounded by the scenic Hudson to the east, lined with high rises and waterfront parks offering views of Manhattan, and the often-overlooked Hackensack to the west, featuring wetlands, industry, and degraded post-industrial sites. The Bayfront Redevelopment Master Plan aims to transform a formerly contaminated 100-acre site on the Hackensack River into a model of sustainable and equitable development. Upon completion, Bayfront will feature 8,000 residential units, 35% of which will be affordable, 340,000 square feet of commercial space, an intermodal transportation hub with light rail and water taxi service, 19 acres of public open space, and a publicly accessible waterfront. This project is set to be the largest mixed-income development in the Tri-State Area.
The interdisciplinary team led by Perkins Eastman, including SWA and Moffat & Nichol, aimed to ensure the master plan benefits not only future residents but also serves as a catalyst for economic revitalization of Jersey City’s underserved westside, reconnecting diverse neighborhoods to the Hackensack riverfront. The planning process involved extensive engagement with community groups, including the Bayfront Advisory Committee, and coordination with multiple city and state agencies.
The centerpiece is a half-mile waterfront park with two primary nodes, piers, docks for maritime activity, and newly created marshlands to absorb rising tides, improve water quality, and provide habitat. Two linear parks, built atop engineered caps isolating contaminated soil, connect upland neighborhoods to the riverfront. The Central Park serves as the main access corridor, featuring a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 440, protected bikeways, trails, and recreational areas. The Promenade Park offers more passive programming for the prominently residential district. Both parks provide continuous green spaces while adhering to soil depth and loading limitations to protect the underlying cap system.
San Diego Embarcadero
The redevelopment plan for the waterfront and port facilities adjacent to downtown San Diego included translating community and economic requirements into a specific planning program. Emphasis was placed on urban design, circulation and parking, landscaping, environmental planning, and engineering considerations with a set of comprehensive implementation guide...
Nantong Waterfront
A prominent riverfront city in Jiangsu Province, Nantong has long been shaped by its proximity to the Yangtze River, Hao River, Tonglv Canal, and Rengang River. The establishment of Nantong Port in 1904 and subsequent wharf construction drove decades of industrial growth, but as shipping operations shifted downstream to deeper waters, older docks in this area ...
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Bao’an Waterfront Park is an essential amenity for future residents of Shenzhen’s rapidly expanding Qianhai area, and is also an important connection between the urban fabric and the ocean. The key landscape frameworks for the park are its riverine interpretation aspects and water’s edge programs. The “Eco River” will bring water experiences into the green spa...
Golden Shoal Riverfront Park
Located along Chongqing’s Jialing River, this new linear public park offered unique challenges: a 30-meter annual river fluctuation, steep topography, and low-impact maintenance of a continuous riparian corridor. Adjacent new urban development, with attendant needs for green space, called for a flexible and resilient approach to the park’s landscape and infras...