The bare minimum to start addressing Rikers Island’s horrific legacy is to ensure, as the jails there are closed, that the island’s future uses benefit and respond to the wishes of the people and communities that have been harmed through its long, painful history. After hundreds of conversations with people who have been incarcerated on Rikers and had loved ones there, a consensus emerged: use the island for green infrastructure through the Renewable Rikers plan. By transferring the island from the control of the Department of Correction to other agencies for green infrastructure uses as outlined in the three laws passed by the City Council in 2021, New York City can further solidify the end of the Rikers Island jail complex.
![Renewable Rikers3](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=083c87fc99ea1832626a2a0e125b6426835476ebd81d0dbab7ad22f60187aedc 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=2344055878a8fb5b8170861df5da540099bda08638fde26c4a2ec100b310af6e 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=950a200decc7a76b6f426f4034b04cf735174ebb2403597161a49e48b32d925d 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=a80146d8618c06567759e7a17ad28f70cb8247faf19d1aea71923ec8d49ea970 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=7f5f2d8bdee8519984b3cb2ce89b5d45e0ad4a682e06ddc298b3d86fa2a01add 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=fa85bbaa68722e6ab0b6d7a55d6bd32ff97f00cab75a5fc7df0e397a6554ec2a 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=9c1d9c6ef22324620f3798797764885b84db3d44b9172c26934e4ef19d76c9b0 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=acfe50242184e8100f37ec137c5b661d2388d60196b852f5d46cf4706f2101a9 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers3.png?bossToken=94715349cf61421c65dcf190e29285bccb13de93941f10fdf7173dcb2def2ed2 1543w)
Rikers Island sits at the confluence of noxious peaker power and aging wastewater treatment plants that disproportionately burden the nearby neighborhoods of color.
Retiring and replacing these facilities with solar energy, battery storage, and a consolidated wastewater treatment plant on Rikers would liberate large swathes of waterfront property for communities to redevelop according to their own needs and priorities—and eliminate severe health risks. A third use proposed in the Renewable Rikers plan is food scrap and yard waste recycling. The proximity of three marine waste transfer stations make Rikers Island ideally situated to become a hub for organics processing, relieving nearby communities from burdensome truck traffic and reducing the volume of waste sent to distant municipalities.
![Renewable Rikers4](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=d3d1030bd59141a8a737df5ed9db7af0b8f70b47e701e30e29a92489f3f66ef1 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=c2b46ed1aad6b3f49245ed27034f7e26569fffc6733e37cb7db5cfb0218cf5ab 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=00bfa1612108ad65b528b41d6fea3bee311ece1bbf93d538ad884361f2e82b6b 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=009c9099c58a74da29a0c72c6e2dd20eb5871b3c133ec1f4504fb76ad311d03c 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=9b47b12b85b9d7edce411314332abc10ae78b5ec9e0fe765021166a52fe0c89b 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=aa0ac033d6355ac6a457c753f910fdcbf6de4711f8d85268b3779e78bf8e5106 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=c46379ba441ce9ef8a466e7355f2e98e9fbfb56028a1a2932ce2dbef95378000 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=cbafc69cd78c898606b78c29dd4c7812f3e8bdc32e262c4911c24ed00a990bce 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers4.png?bossToken=df2e2f0503cc21cab48013aa87d26f75b06ca953015f68baf367bc401f8888ce 1543w)
The Renewable Rikers plan is an important investment for the City as a whole to meet its ambitious decarbonization goals, while serving as a model for a climate transition rooted in redistributive justice and shared community leadership. Beyond phasing out nearby polluting infrastructure, a research and training institute will enable front-line communities to gain education and skills in green occupations using the island as a testing ground for innovative technological and pedagogical approaches.
![Renewable Rikers5](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=ed18170cf45a553813233d375b2afe5072aa82041529063231e977b36ae646d7 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=4c5b4283e54fd8417614945a27e2e089bfb2e91aae027d9b65dee6f2eeb374ce 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=e0a56f352b18b528408840ec83d2914f2b136f99f02198e20735312885e41647 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=89355d583dcab8e0d350d13270b5f27c9b6ac18135c1720a3640a01fc05a2320 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=bc959089838652291515f679767c3402924742deeb9f339dd35a3b93971eed4b 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=80082223008e09cab99bc62341fafd79cdc2e3a5dace79aa68e5be5ad95a1f9e 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=8fea4a58c77eda6c228cb8a8eaae8af5ffd86a09dd5a6cb4faf0db960d2dd458 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=2c80c493564e472094b6c67246be085af3dfb75ee22085cc6beec9b9b22798c7 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers5.png?bossToken=e43695741966ce4e9e61a91e1ee1460008b25d6dac130a5994b94d5a3d182ae0 1543w)
Few things could mark the end of the Rikers Island penal colony more definitively than transferring the land for positive use. The plan presented here is admittedly a long-term vision that will require continuous input from communities most impacted by Rikers and sustained activism from a broad coalition of New Yorkers. It will likely take generations to repair the harm Rikers has done to Black, Brown, and poor New Yorkers, but we need to start somewhere. The opportunity to use over 400 acres for the benefit of communities that have borne the brunt of mass criminalization, environmental burdens, and disinvestment is both rare and extraordinary.
![Renewable Rikers](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=e21d60e7ea188d40cfc381ef7ad5dae8b8476c5df976f379177f9486d5bc1071 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=1996d58bde7b0966af1132d4ff64b805572e895504f10c921574410c548489ce 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=72891d46db33daf3184034ea8b9f86dfbcb78c5d9ed38330070c7b8a40f1f472 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=c5ea050b5fcd34070f17ec37e99004e1ff3ed010ec448cde1227a4433ea0dcec 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=fe77b50f9c09ee14f44c795d765cc3f7b1fffb8f3a5d8e6cb51aeb166ba18da9 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=98fb6aa1d98e73c0f8e58648eebaebeeef2ba68f984112eb0e9cd1da636b767a 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=6c0cb179da51e2828bde2c2dffdb54ae0d51b4baa231442aac57e91a0343e137 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=aab3d7b5edf415a13fc4aab9e469df3ff7126bf706f92a3f88af8733baa22f99 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Reports/2022-reports/Renewable-Rikers/Renewable-Rikers.png?bossToken=1a95f6149ca0b8716722250d975fd28e186af82652c2243c5ff9a369a7cb591a 1543w)
As part of its 2022 Richard Kaplan Fellowship, RPA commissioned a visioning of what the design of a Renewable Rikers island would look. This design is based on the vision of the Renewable Rikers coalition, please view the full report to learn more.
Acknowledgements
Authored by
-
Andrea Johnson
Richard Kaplan Chair for Regional Design
Additional Support
- Crystal Yifan Xing
- Jessie Song
- Moses Gates
- Vice President for Housing & Neighborhood Planning, Regional Plan Association
Related Reports
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