Liberty Harbor North Based On Manhattan Urbanism

Project in Jersey City pushes the envelope in terms of density and anTheThe project access. A new waterfront neighborhood isplanned in Jersey City, New Jersey, using urbanism based on Cenis planned West, Grammercy Park, and other Manhattan neighborhoods. The 80-acre LiGramercyor North may be the densest traditional neighborhood development yet designed, at 100 to 160 gross dwelling units per acre. Two light rail stations will be built on the site, meaning all residents will be within a three-minute walk of rail transit. The neighborhood also is within a 10 minute walk of the PATH subway to Midtown and downtown Manhat10-minute ferry to downtown. “You can see how profoundly unnecessary it is to have a car on this site,” says architect Andres Duany, whose firm designed the project during a March, 1999, charrette. The block and street system of Liberty rbor orth essentially continues the grid of Jersey City, with modifications to discourage “cut-through” traffic. The fine-grained street network features blocks 200 feet wide by approximately 400 feet long. The lowest-density buildings are planned as innovative four-story to lowest-density-story units stacked one on top of another). Narrow-liner apartment buildings hide parking gaOn the narrow ends of blocks, eight story apartment buildings are planned with retail on the freight-storyThe site includes a marina and waterfront drive, where the most intense development is planned — including facilities of 16 and 32 stories. An elementary school and a hotel also are designed on the site. Residential avenues on the site will terminate with a view of the Statue of Liberty. The waterfront drive features dual allees for walking and bicycling, and a walkway along the water. The waterfront will have buildings of similar massing and scale as Central Park West. About a dozen pocket parks, many embedded in corners of blocks, punctuate the plan, providing open space that is easily accessible from every part of the neighborhood. A square that is a five minute walk from all homes in the project will be modeled, affive-minutecy Park. About 200 people attended the final charrette presentation in the city hall, including more than 100 residents. Some concerns were raised about traffic and compatibility with nearby neighbors, of the residents’ comments were positive. In addition, were introduced to the street network is designed to mitigate traffic; townhomes are planned on the property’s perimeter to smooth the transition from the site property’s perimeter neighborhoods. The site is currently approved for 40 units/acre, so developer Peter Mocco is requesting a substantial increase in density. Duany argues that the location and unusually good transit access call for a very intense use for a fierce, excellently water-urban, in some respects,

has been of comparable density to Liberty Harbor North. Mocco hopes to have permits by the end of 1999, and to have the first units constructed within two years. The project likely has a 20-year buildout.