Carefree Island
Governors Island already embodies a special carefree spirit. Its first generation of visitors remark that a visit is like a vacation. The park and public space design preserves the Island as an oasis for bicycling, play, the arts, and the imagination.
ARRIVE TO A VACATION
Governors Island is only 800 yards from Manhattan and 400 yards from Brooklyn. Getting to the Island requires a trip by boat. Both the journey and the Island’s separation by water are integral to the park experience. Unlike a typical urban park, where you cross streets and traffic to enter, the journey to Governors Island by water is a novel one, with time to view the wake from the ferry, feel the breeze on your face, and whet your anticipation of arrival. The short journey by boat allows passengers to leave the cares and sensations of the City behind.
Islands have long been alluring as places of imagination and escape, and more recently as vacation destinations. Visitors to Governors Island today remark that even an afternoon there feels like a vacation. The Island is a world apart, with its established landscape, historic buildings, quiet, sea air and expansive views of the Harbor. On the Island, parents let their children run free to clamber on hills and peer into old cannons, and adults enjoy learning to ride bicycles or fly kites. At the end of a visit, voyaging back to the City and daily life is like a return refreshed from a longer pleasure journey.
The design for the Island’s park and public spaces accentuates the feelings that people already enjoy.
The Historic District retains its magical quality while new areas and experiences entice visitors to stay longer and to return again. New arrival areas and buildings welcome visitors. New lawns provide places for sports, picnicking, or performances. Art installations surprise and delight. Children ride free Governors Island Bicycles, run through fountains on Liberty Terrace or roll down the Hills. Visitors can nap in hammocks or meet friends at Liggett Terrace.
The Island retains its carefree spirit and comes to life.
A CAR-FREE BICYCLING OASIS
As the streets of the City are re-imagined so automobiles share space with bicycles and bicycle paths bring people to the water’s edge; as cities around the world are introducing bicycle-sharing programs; and as people look for sustainable forms of transportation, Governors Island serves as a car-free bicycling oasis.
Bicycling has already proven to be one of the most popular activities on Governors Island. Since no private vehicles are allowed on the island, visitors can safely explore and enjoy programs that make cycling more accessible, such as Free Bike Fridays. The Island’s scale is ideally suited for bicycling, with breezes, views and resting spots to encourage a prolonged tour.
The Park and Public Space Master Plan design situates recreational cyclists at the forefront and provides careful consideration for shared space with pedestrians. The Great Promenade and a network of paths criss-cross the Island. They are gently curved and spaciously sized to encourage a leisurely pace and conversation, appealing both for first time riders and families riding together. Shifts in materials separate bicycle routes from pedestrian routes while edging offers seating along the way.
The Governors Island Bicycle Program, modeled on a proven program in the Netherlands, is integral to the park. The bicycle is free to borrow, available to all. The Governors Island Bicycle used for the free bicycle program is an integrated part of the design, signalling that the Island is a unique place for bicycling. The bicycle design must also be practical and suited for constant public use. Bicycle stations and racks throughout the Island make it easy to pick up or drop off the free bicycle. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own bicycle to the Island and to use ferries and water taxis to explore the waterfront landscape of the City by bicycle.
PLAY AND SPORTS FOR ALL AGES
Exercise and play are essential for children’s health and development. Sports and recreation are important aspects of communities. Parks provide places where children and adults can run and play, in organized leagues, informal teams, and spontaneous pick-up games. A park lawn or a path also invites a solo visitor to play or run on alone.
The Governors Island park and public spaces provide multiple places for organized and informal sports. The Play Lawn includes two regulation-sized ballfields for league baseball, softball and soccer. The ballfields at the Play Lawn have fixed backstops, bleachers and clay infields. In addition, the southern end of the Parade Ground provides two flat grassy fields for team and informal sports. These lawns also invite kite flying, Frisbee, catch and myriad other sports.
Younger children and children of all ages find spaces designed expressly for imaginative play. Fountains and water features encourage them to get wet on a summer day. These play spaces are not conventional “off the shelf” playgrounds. Rather, activities that kids love like swinging, climbing, and sliding will be integrated in creatively designed structures and features. Child-sized bicycles and hills for clambering transform the entire Island into a place for play.
ISLAND FOR THE ARTS
Open-air performance and outdoor sculpture have long been a feature of public parks. But on Governors Island the experience of the arts is actually transforming the Island’s use as a public space.
Since Governors Island re-opened to the public in 2003, the visual and performing arts have helped bring people and life to the Island. Thousands of concert-goers have filled once empty lawns on Colonels Row. A miniature golf course designed by artists drew players between the ages of 2 to 70. Artist projects have animated houses and buildings left vacant since 1997. Olafur Eliasson’s “The New York City Waterfalls” evoked sensations of the Harbor’s primordial past while raising the Island’s profile on the contemporary map.
A sculpture installation in Nolan Park brought this area to life and made it more welcoming to visitors, who could sprawl on lawns next to art. The artist-designed golf course suggested how Liggett Terrace could become a lively hub for arts, flowers and play.
The park and public space design offers many opportunities for the arts on the Island. The Parade Ground and Play Lawn offer settings for large-scale concerts while other dance, theater and music performances may take place in more intimate settings at Liberty Terrace, Liggett Terrace, or in the Historic District.
Sculptures and installations can find permanent or temporary homes on the terraces, in the Hammock Grove, set against the backdrop of the Hills, or in other rich settings throughout the Island.
Artists who work in a variety of media will be commissioned to create work that deepens the experiences of the senses, and responds to the tide, wind and water. Art is an integral part of the landscape of Governors Island.
A PLACE OF THE IMAGINATION
Inherently, parks are places for leisure and delight. The components that contribute to a park — benches, lighting, railings, and so on — contribute to the sense of delight within a park. The best parks are landscapes and architecture that express the imagination, skill and artistry of human creativity and craftsmanship. They surprise visitors, evoke memories, and provoke the imagination. Some of the more famous parks in this tradition include New York’s own Central Park and Barcelona’s Parc Guell.
The West 8 Team continues the tradition of integrating ornament with park design for memorable and beautiful parks and public spaces. Their experience in building public spaces all over the world provides a vast reservoir of experience in creating expressive, unique park elements that are also durable enough to withstand the needs of public spaces.
The artful expression of West 8 Team designs always begins with inspiration from the place and site. On Governors Island, the patterns of the mosaic paving, benches, edging, and promenade railing will draw inspiration from the waters of the Harbor and elements of the sea. Edges that line the pathways have fish scale-like textures that add richness and character to elements.
The Shell, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is inspired by the sculpted interior of an oyster shell. The building integrates architecture with landscape, inviting visitors to rest and relax.
Allusion, ornament and design throughout the park and public spaces encourage children and adults to let their imaginations run free.
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Design Principles
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Governors Island offers a world apart from New York City, an extraordinary vantage point on New York Harbor and its icons, and the chance to experience the sounds and smells of a green Island surrounded by water. The Governors Island…
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Transformation & Topography —
During the 2007 design competition, the West 8 Team sketched an idea for Governors Island’s park and public spaces: create a dramatic vertical landscape on the Island. This idea was based on the notion that in order to transform it…
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An Island Like No Other —
Governors Island is truly an island like no other, with a unique vantage point on the Harbor and a treasured historic landscape.
VAST WATER, BIG SKY
In Manhattan, tall buildings create canyons with their own shadows. There is little sense… -
A Sustainable & Feasible Design —
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is a core principle driving the Master Plan.
Creating and preserving 87 acres of open space on Governors Island and making them accessible to millions of urban dwellers of course addresses larger goals for the livability and sustainability… -
Ideas from New Yorkers —
“Island of a thousand hammocks.” “A place to go with the one I love.” “Kite
flying.” “A field to play.” “Ice cream.”
Thousands of New Yorkers contributed ideas about what they would like to see in the park and public… -
What Happens Next? —
The Park and Public Space Master Plan is the first phase of the Island’s multi-phase, mixed-use development strategy.
The Park and Public Space Master Plan will transform Governors Island into a destination, take advantage of its unparalleled setting in the…
Comments (20)
Comments —
How about a municipal pier with floating docks for recreational boaters, sailors and HPVers?
By Ed Bacon on April 24, 2010 10:02 amGovernor’s Island is beautiful. I hope it remains that way.
A Nature Haven away from the hustle and bustle of the other Boroughs of NYC. A quiet place to enjoy, read a book, ride a bike, picnic and just be at peace for a day. Central Park is nice but not like that.
New Yorkers need more quiet space. Please keep it quiet.
By Gloria Bynoe on June 13, 2010 7:37 amCan I bring my own bicycle to the island? If not, why not!
By Bob Jones on July 9, 2010 7:02 amYou can indeed bring your own bike! Currently, you can rent one while here (we have more than five miles of car free biking) and bikes are free on Fridays.
By admin on July 13, 2010 6:56 amHi, In 1958-59, I worked as a secretary for the Military Personnel Dept, a building located to the left as I walked off the ferry. I also recall walking past a bldg where soldiers attended a movie and another where we could eat lunch alongside the soldiers. Are these buildings still there to view.
By Onelia Warren on August 6, 2010 4:56 amOnelia
Took our first family visit to the island today. What a great place! We are excited by the future plans for the island. Please don’t throw away this opportunity to leave one great place that is truly “for the people” out of the hands of over zealous developers.
By Michael Cosmai on August 6, 2010 2:36 pmYes, this building is still on Governors Island and currently houses our security offices. This building, like the other historic buildings in the National Historic District, are landmarked and will remain on Governors Island in the future. They are available for adaptive re-use and will be home to a mix of uses.
By Ellen on August 8, 2010 11:23 amWe should put the UN HQ there.
I think (i heard it also from other people) that we can offer the united nations to rebuild there HQ there, this will solve a lot of problems at once.
It will free up primary space in NYC
It will solve the parking problems in NYC,
and much more….
Thanks
By Adardesign on August 20, 2010 9:16 amHow about seasonal events like for Halloween or Christmas ?
By John on September 11, 2010 7:06 pmGreat place for a respectable Haunted attractions for all ages and other holiday events..
The revenue it would bring would help preserve the Historic District.
To start off i will say I LOVE GOVERNERS ISLAND! I’ve only been once but i told everyone what a great day we had. We will be returning before the season is finished.I agree with John. Some holiday events would be superb. Easter egg hunts, Halloween, Christmas etc. I would also love the island to remain car free to the public, keep its historic vibe and keep QUIET! Except for the odd event. Please, no high rises or filling in the greenery with buildings and knocking down the old ones. My favorite thing on my day trip was looking at the old buildings and thinking of what it would of been like to live there. I would LOVE to see more photos of the old days and what used to go on. A ranger was very informative when we asked about the fort. Another thing i would love to do this is CAMPING!!! Many people don’t get to do this in NYC and i think here would be a great experience for every age!
By julia on September 21, 2010 4:35 pmI served on Governors Island in the U.S. Coast Guard in the early to Mid-90’s. We were among the last families to transfer when the Coast Guard shut down operations in ‘96. What I remember most is the tranquility. We loved going into the city to work, shop, catch the Knicks, etc, but when we’d had enough of the hustle and bustle, we’d jump (or drive) onto the ferry and return to the quiet tree-lined streets of the island. The bright green ball fields, the 9-holed golf course, the tennis courts, the annual cook-outs – the springs and summers were awesome! From the living room window of our 5th floor apartment we had a priceless view of Lady Liberty standing across the harbor. From other vantage points on the island we had daily looks at the twin towers, the Hudson and East Rivers, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Additionally, there was the convenience of a primary school, a commissary and a gas station. We even had a one-screened movie theatre. It was a small quiet town on the edge of a metropolis. It was very family-oriented. Sounds like it still is. I’m glad that New York recognized the treasure in its possession and didn’t allow commercialization. We’re back home in the Carolinas these days. Can’t wait to go back and show my son his first home. He was 1 when we left – he’s now 15.
By Kevin Morrison on December 30, 2010 6:48 pmI love the plans for the historic district and Liggett Terrace. I am not so wild about the Hills and Liberty Terrace. First they seem like a lot of work for what they are. Second they won’t seem so great when compared with the rest of the harbor. The hills will look puny and unimpressive compared with hills in Staten Island and Brooklyn, and hilly sections of parks are rarely very popular. Sorry to be a cynical NYer, but the “shell” looks like it will quickly become little more than a public urinal (oh yeah — where are all the bathrooms anyway?). Instead, consider a wetland, which will attract more conspicuous wildlife (like the great blue heron you illustrate with the South Prow) and is more in keeping with the maritime flavor of the island. As an example, consider the nature walk / wetland recently added to Randalls Island. And instead of a “shell” that looks like a weird kind of cave, how about a simple amphitheater? Also, the Great Promenade could be greater — wider, that is. It looks much narrower than what is there today, which already fills up with pedestrians and bicycles. And consider some way of separating bike and pedestrian traffic, perhaps with a double walkway — one paved in bumpy stones for peds, and another with nice smooth asphalt for bikes.
Thanks, its overall a very exciting plan.
By Peter Greenberg on March 18, 2011 3:19 pmHow about making it a small airport, same as london city airport. serving the regional flights and easing the traffic of our 3 busy airports.
http://www.londoncityairport.com/
By Braun on March 21, 2011 9:20 am[...] 7. The Trust for Governors Island views the project as a long-term effort that will be developed in phases. The project budget — estimated pre-crash — is $200 million. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in 2012. SeeGovernors Island: What Happens Next. [...]
By The New Public Landscapes of Governors Island: An Interview with Adriaan Geuze | Urban Choreography on April 8, 2011 1:37 amI lived on the island for 4 years in the 1970’s. My father was in the USCG. My brother’s played little leaugue baseball on what looks like now “the play fields.” Great memeories including spending July 4, 1976! Getting to see all the tall ships and fireworks from that island is now considered to me to have become a part of great history. It was a family oriented island and I am glad to see it becoming more then a dump. I look forward to a visit back there.
By Michelle Cobaugh Fowler on April 21, 2011 9:09 amWater access. Think Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach. And unstructred playfields. Baseball fields are not needed as much as open fields where pickup football games can happen without the permit nightmare. If this is destined to become another structured Bloomberg tourist attraction, I’ll root for a hurricane/global warming to wash all the garbage off the island.
By L. Katz on June 10, 2011 10:12 amNoisome NYC Invades G.I. – Friends and I visited Governors Island on Saturday July 16th, almost a year since my first visit. The first trip was very pleasant with a comfortable number of people picnicing, biking, and walking. This time we were greeted by ugly disco thumping from huge speakers, crowds jockeying space with bikes, pedestrians, and service vehicles packed in. We managed to get away from the noise and had a reasonably good time, but we could see from the mob coming to the rock concert that you had better time your visit. Otherwise, you will encounter all the NYC you got on the ferry to avoid.
By Martin on July 18, 2011 6:41 amI watched the documentary spearheaded by Bloomberg on TV this morning. My thoughts:
When I first heard that Governor’s Island now belongs to NYC my immediate thoughts were: Refuge, Contemplation, Inspiration, Art, Drama, Health and Fitness. Mostly, Governor’s Island should become a place to embrace and share thoughts, creativity, learning, and expression. An embracement of the freedom we were promised and fight to defend, but also freedom from the confines of a City of Steel and Mortar. We have an opportunity for a revitalizing breath of fresh air during these tough economic times in our great City, Nation and the World.
Therefore I propose that the name of the Island be changed from Governor’s Island to “Freedom Island”, a name written in the Island’s and the City’s past, present and future. It is the embodiment of a unique and special City and its inhabitants; our City which we lovingly call “The Big Apple”. The Island must become what we love about the Big Apple and not what we hate, disgusts us, stresses us or makes us upset about The Big Apple. Not taking a positive and proactive mental approach will confine us to the shackles of unhappiness.
We should “put on our thinking caps” and propose ourselves to change our views to the possibilities. The answers are much more difficult and challenging than the questions but we New Yorkers, I believe, are up to the challenge; as usual.
By Rafael E Alfau on July 31, 2011 9:53 amWhat a waste of money. Spend the money on parks where people live.
By VoiceOfTruth on November 3, 2011 2:30 pmHey I enjoyed walking true the park this summer and i was thinking how about adding some of the rarest stuff that we have in the world and bringing it to the park and making the park one of the wonders of the world and adding some of the largest trees in the world like the coast redwood and adding some rarest and in danger species of animals like the panda bear and more, HEY THIS NEW YORK PEOPLE WE HAVE TO THINK BIG:)
By RONALD on January 13, 2012 7:12 pmComments —
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