Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

What happens when old industrial sites and railway yards outlive their usefulness? Neglected, abandoned, vandalized, and degraded. Alternatively, they can become a source of inspiration and be transformed. The subject of this study, the creation of Liberty State Park in New Jersey along the western shore of New York Harbor, is an excellent example of such a transformation. This park came about because small groups of dedicated local citizens united with a shared passion as well as a commitment to the principle of public access to coastlines. With the interweaving of principles and pragmatism, this core group organized and lobbied local and state governments that eventually brought about the creation of Liberty State Park in 1976 and the Hudson River Walkway twelve years later. These public spaces provide four million people annually with access to one of the most magnificent human and natural environments in the United States—the western shoreline of New York Harbor with views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the magnificent Manhattan skyline. With a combination of paved walkways, observation sites, a restored 1889 French Renaissance-style Railroad Terminal along with 900 acres of natural habitats, Liberty State Park exemplifies the happy marriage of an important historic site with natural habitats. Ever wary of commercial developers, citizen activists are grounded in the public trust doctrine to keep the park and walkway sustainable and available to all. The sustainability of this urban gem is of enormous benefit to the people and the ecosystems of Liberty State Park.