Evidence throughout the region indicates that water-dependent maritime uses, ranging from large-scale shipyards to small-scale marinas, are being converted to other uses. Regional Plan Association (RPA) conducted a reconnaissance study of the tri-state area to understand the long- term viability of water-dependent maritime land uses.
The goal of this study was to address three questions:
What is the range of water-dependent maritime land uses on the region’s waterfronts, why are they of value, and how are these uses managed?
What are the issues affecting the long-term viability of these land uses?; and (3) What can be done from a planning and policy perspective to improve the viability of these uses?
To address these questions, RPA conducted interviews with 46 key informants throughout the tri-state region from government agencies, non- governmental organizations, maritime industries, trade associations, and advocacy groups. We also reviewed recent studies of water-dependent maritime activities, available quantitative data, and reports analyzing maritime uses in other regions and the nation. One concurrent study of note - the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) Maritime Support Services Location Study - includes an inventory, economic impact analysis, and study of the demand for maritime support services within New York City’s six Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas. Unlike the EDC study, RPA’s study focuses broadly on water-dependent maritime use, which we define as land uses whose function or purpose requires direct siting on, over, or adjacent to the water and which support any boat-related use, whether commercial/industrial or recreational. We focus in particular on three key regions of the tri- state area: New York-New Jersey Harbor; Long Island Sound; and the New Jersey Atlantic Coast.
