Development on the Waterfront: 21st Century Zoning, Policy, and Planning
Schedule
Tue Jun 16 2026 at 06:20 pm to 09:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Pier 83 (Circle Line Cruises) | New York, NY
About this Event
New York City is in a constant state of development, and nowhere is this more visible than on our waterfront. On June 16, join Open House New York for a sunset boat tour to explore the transformation of New York City's waterfront during the 21st Century. A combination of zoning changes, powerful public-private partnerships, and large-scale coastal resiliency projects have changed entire stretches of the waterfront over the past 25 years, reshaping who lives, works, and recreates along the water's edge.
The tour will travel along the west side of Manhattan, examining the policy changes and investment decisions behind Hudson Yards, the High Line, and the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. From there, the tour will explore the western edge of Queens and Brooklyn, from Long Island City to Sunset Park, offering a sweeping view of a waterfront in the midst of reinvention. Participants will see the adaptive reuse of industrial sites into mixed-use developments, learn about the growth of green manufacturing amid a changing industrial sector, and witness a billion-dollar investment in coastal resiliency.
The tour will be led by urban planner and licensed New York City tour guide Moses Gates, who will unpack some of the city's most visible planning debates. With the harbor as the vantage point, participants will learn about the zoning, policy, and planning decisions that have reinvented our waterfront over the past 25 years—and gain an inside look at what’s to come.
Speaker
Moses Gates is Regional Plan Association’s Vice President for Housing and Neighborhood Planning, leading the organization’s efforts in affordable housing, economic development, and urban design. Prior to joining RPA, Moses was Director of Planning and Community Development for the Association for Neighborhood Housing Development, where he led the organization’s housing development policy and planning work and initiated New York City’s first Community Development Fellowship program. He serves on the board of directors for Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City, is the author of the memoir “Hidden Cities” (Tarcher/Perigee 2013), and was a volunteer at OHNY’s first-ever Open House weekend in 2002.
Photo: © Buro Happold
Where is it happening?
Pier 83 (Circle Line Cruises), 12th Avenue and West 43rd Street, New York, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 58.74 to USD 111.24
