Roosevelt Island Landscaping Study By Cornell Architecture Students Underway- Help Shape Our Greenspaces, Plazas and Pathways

Image of Cornell Preliminary Presentation To RIRA From Jonathan Kalkin

During the April meeting of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Meeting a presentation (Copy Below) was made by the leader of a group of students from the Cornell Graduate Program In Landscape Design. The students are participating in a project initiated by Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC) Director Jonathan Kalkin to help redesign Roosevelt Island's green spaces and pathways.

After several weeks of exploring Roosevelt Island, meeting with RIOC staff, RIRA members and other Roosevelt Island community leaders a preliminary plan was presented by the Cornell Landscaping team to the RIRA Common Council at the April meeting. The goal of the presentation was to receive comments, criticism and other feedback from RIRA members that the Cornell Landscape team can incorporate in a final Roosevelt Island Landscaping plan to be presented at the May RIRA meeting.

The initial plan presented at the April meeting envisions a 3 Phase Agenda including (Page 17 of the Presentation):

Phase One: Safe, ADA-compliant pedestrian circulation & community gardening

* Four greenways: four paths to improve existing pedestrian pathways

* Temporary greenhouse & nursery for container plants: partnership between residents, schools, & hospital for use

Phase Two: Expansion of Community Gardens and Public Plazas

* Construction of hardscapedplazas, community garden, and landscaping areas

Phase Three: Green Energy Projects

* Informed decisions about site-appropriate sources for energy– Informed decisions about site-appropriate sources for energy

* Agreement with power company on an energy cost reduction program for the whole island

* Installation of green energy projects

Among their proposals are (page 15)

Creating Plazas: Unify areas that contain several disconnected public spaces, using hardscaped, tree-lined plazas that can be used for performances, community events, and educational programs.

Redesigning for existing green spaces: Extend community gardens into Redesigning for existing green spaces: Extend community gardens into permanent locations; if a location is available temporarily, a greenhouse and nursery for container plants can be set up for residential, educational, and therapeutic use. Utilize disused spaces for stormwater-managing landscapes and/or native plant educational gardens.

The Cornell Group is seeking any additional feedback on their proposals (Page 19).

• Do you have any questions about this preliminary plan? Are there any features of it that are especially exciting, or especially worrisome?

• What do you feel are the best things about living on Roosevelt Island? What are the worst things about living here?

• Any other comments? Things we have overlooked? Ideas you have for the island’s landscapes?

Click To Enlarge Image and tell your favorite Roosevelt Island places you like and dislike.

Remember these are preliminary proposals and a final plan will be presented at the RIRA May Meeting. Of course, none of these proposals are binding upon RIOC but are helpful suggestions.

Below is a copy of the Presentation made before the April RIRA meeting.
Cornell Landscaping Roosevelt Island Project


Roosevelt Island has been the beneficiary of several other recent University Projects including the Columbia University Roosevelt Island Transportation Study and Hunter College's Access RI Accessibility Study.