The Poughkeepsie-based environmental group Scenic Hudson has published Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts: Illustrated Conservation & Development Strategies for Creating Healthy, Prosperous Communities. The guide aims to help local officials, planners, developers and concerned citizens realize the full potential of their shorelines.
According to Scenic Hudson, communities throughout the region recognize that Hudson River waterfronts offer rich opportunities for economic development, recreation, environmental health and scenic beauty. The organization states that these multiple values make Hudson River waterfronts hotspots for revitalization but also create battlegrounds when competing priorities must be resolved. The publication illustrates how to create publicly accessible, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use waterfronts in municipal centers while protecting ecologically important natural areas and iconic views.
Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts offers tools for municipalities addressing development in areas with existing infrastructure located along the river, such as marinas, maritime museums, and fishing operations. The book presents strategies for attracting visitors and permanent residents to riverfront downtowns; to spur new business opportunities. It also includes strategies to help municipalities prepare for and avoid the impacts of sea-level rise associated with climate change; steps to reduce carbon emissions of developments, and sustainable design.
“Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts not only lays out a vision for ensuring a healthy economic and environmental future for the Hudson Valley, but also offers practical tools necessary to achieve it,” said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan. “The book’s strategies will help public officials, developers and citizens work together to increase public access to the region’s greatest asset, the Hudson River. They also will reduce sprawling development that would otherwise obliterate the breathtaking landscapes and quality of life that are the foundation of the region’s $4.7-billion tourism economy and magnets for new business.”
Jeffrey Anzevino, director of Scenic Hudson’s Land Use Advocacy department, will make a presentation on the guide to professional groups at the New York State Conference on the Environment on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Thayer Hotel, at West Point, and at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s annual conference on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in New York City. The book is available online at http://www.revitalizinghudsonriverfronts.org/.
