Waterfront Alliance

Today we’d like to highlight our partner the SWIM (Stormwater Infrastructure Matters) Coalition! The SWIM Coalition is comprised of over 70 organizations across the city, united in their commitment to make New York City's waters swimmable and fishable. The Coalition reimagines stormwater not as waste, but as a valuable resource that can be both environmentally and economically beneficial. Their mission revolves around not only environmental concerns, but also addresses historic injustices by promoting equitable clean water policies that adapt to climate change and sea level rise. Through policy advocacy, education, and community engagement, SWIM is leading the way by pushing for green infrastructure and regenerative systems to benefit all New Yorkers, especially environmental justice communities. From hosting public meetings and workshops to empowering locals in water quality planning, SWIM is creating a ripple effect of positive change across NYC’s waters and waterfronts. Waterfront Alliance is proud to be a member of the SWIM Coalition, joining forces to achieve a vision of fishable and swimmable waters for all. Together, we are advocating for policies and practices that ensure sustainable and just water management in our city. Learn more about the SWIM Coalition at: https://lnkd.in/dC3cS9-Q #NYCwater #SwimNYC #Stormwater #Cleanwater

We're proud to announce that Waterfront Alliance is a grant recipient of the City Parks Foundation's 2024 NYC Green Fund Pathways Grants program! We were chosen for this grant along with nine other esteemed organizations, and the grant will help us create a How-To Guide to instruct individuals and community-based organizations on how to build awareness and secure funding for unused/undeveloped open space to be turned into publicly accessible waterfront parks. We're so grateful to have been chosen, and thrilled that this will allow us to share our knowledge on the steps it takes to expand public access to the waterfront. Thank you City Parks Foundation! To learn more about the grant, read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/dvqfV-6j #GrantFunding #WaterfrontAccess #AccessibleParks #NYCParks

July is #DisabilityPrideMonth, and NYC Ferry has celebrated by highlighting several disabled-led and disability-owned business enterprises (DOBEs). The ferry is also one of the most accessible ways to explore NYC, with features like ramps, priority seating, accessible restrooms, and a discount program for persons with disabilities. Check out the curated list here: https://lnkd.in/dtgZ9UEV

That's a wrap on our #extremeheat webinar! Speakers had a fascinating discussion about the intricacies of finding solutions to extreme heat, the facts surrounding the issue, and how we need to adapt to support communities in the face of a changing climate that's only getting hotter. Speaker Karen Blondel of the Public Housing Civic Association said it best, "We have the right to be cool." We need to continue to implement the necessary updates and preparations needed to support historically underinvested communities that are bearing an unfair share of the effects of extreme heat, and acknowledge that policy and infrastructure must change along with our climate. For additional information on solutions we need to advocate for, check out We Act for Environmental Justice's Extreme Heat Policy Agenda: https://lnkd.in/gm5XT7zw And to learn more about the City's comprehensive approach to extreme heat, check out the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice's Extreme Heat Action Agenda: https://lnkd.in/eEDnw9Wm Thank you to speakers Karen Dawn Blondel, Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association, Anna Bershteyn, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Paul Lozito, AICP, Deputy Executive Director, MOCEJ, and Caleb Smith, Resiliency Coordinator, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and to our own director of programs and climate initiatives, Furhana Husani, WEDG, for facilitating!

Waterfront Alliance has released a first-of-its-kind white paper pinpointing the key policy challenges, considerations, and opportunities for effectively funding and implementing climate resilient infrastructure and other solutions in the U.S. We developed this white paper out of a roundtable discussion at the Aspen Ideas: Climate Summit in Miami earlier this year. Learn more by reading the white paper at the link below! https://lnkd.in/gu7snUCw

Today, July 22, the #ClimateClock in Union Square ticked down below 5 years for the first time, giving us 4 years to dramatically reduce fossil fuel emissions to stay below 1.5°C degrees warming — a global tipping point. 🌍🕰️ The Waterfront Alliance team was proud to attend the Climate Emergency Day rally, where activists gathered to leverage the moment to demand that our leaders commit to real solutions to meet this climate deadline. Together, we can demand that our leaders #ActInTime to fund our future with sustainable solutions. The event featured speakers (including Councilmember Sandy Nurse), live music, and an uplifting sentiment that while the clock is ticking, every second is a chance to change the tide. Find out more about how you can make a difference at: https://lnkd.in/e-sPrz-V #ActInTime #ClimateClock #ClimateEmergencyDay #4Years #TimeToEndFossilFuels #TimeToFundOurFuture

Check out our #WaterWire interview on flooding in the Rockaways with Aydon Gabourel, a long-time Rockaway local and co-founder of Laru Beya. Formed in 2018, the Laru Beya Collective exists to provide education and access for the historically excluded youth of the Far Rockaways, as well as to address the challenges BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) surfers face. With his ear to the heartbeat of the peninsula, Aydon has seen firsthand how floods are impacting the Rockaways and its most vulnerable communities. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dkKeRBn7

Do you live near Flushing Meadows Corona Park? Waterfront Alliance wants to know your thoughts on frequent flooding and extreme heat in the park. What sort of resilience improvements would you like to see in the park? Let us know your thoughts by taking the short survey at the link below! https://lnkd.in/gmqa7JE5

Exciting news for #renewableenergy in NYC! Queensboro Development LLC, affiliated with Rise Light & Power, proposes the Queensboro Renewable Express — a transmission line aiming to bring offshore wind energy directly to Long Island City's Ravenswood Generating Station. Join on July 23, 2024, at Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement (10-25 41st Avenue, LIC) for important public forums and hearings: Information Forums at 1 PM and 5:30 PM: Dive deeper into the project details and connect with the Rise Light & Power team. Public Statement Hearings at 2 PM and 6:30 PM: Voice your opinions and contribute to the Article VII application process. This project is a crucial part of the Renewable Ravenswood vision to transform NYC’s largest power plant into a renewable energy hub. Don't miss out on helping to shape the city's sustainable future! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gS9KpAjy

Don't forget to sign up for our Waterfront Webinar Series: Taking the Heat — Are We Ready? With ongoing record-breaking temperatures affecting the region, we must ask: are our systems, along with our physical and social infrastructures, equipped to handle such #extremeheat? This conversation will explore the necessary updates and preparations needed to support historically underinvested communities in facing these scorching conditions. Featuring speakers Karen Dawn Blondel, Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association, Paul Lozito, AICP, Deputy Executive Director, MOCEJ, Anna Bershteyn, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Caleb Smith, Resiliency Coordinator, WE ACT for Environmental Justice! Register here: https://bit.ly/3xEjp3y