A Vision for a Greener, Healthier, Cooler Gowanus: Strategies to Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effect

Report Summary: ULI New York partnered with the Urban Resilience program and South Brooklyn community-based non-profit and advocacy group, the Fifth Avenue Committee, to host a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) in Brooklyn. The panel explored how a potential rezoning in the Gowanus neighborhood could address Urban Heat Island (UHI) mitigation. Gowanus, which was developed as an industrial area and was New York City’s first Superfund site, is more vulnerable to extreme heat than its surrounding communities in part because of its lack of parks and open space, heavy traffic, and poor air and water quality. The panel identified a series of measures to mitigate the UHI effect, including increasing vegetative coverage wherever possible, undertaking a series of transit improvements, and significantly increasing building efficiency. The panel also explored funding and implementation strategies, including the established of a Green Infrastructure Fund.