City Planning Invites You to Celebrate New York City’s 520 Miles of Waterfront this May

Free events include a behind-the-scenes tour of the NYC Ferry homeport (left), a look into the transformation of East River Park (center) and a guided tour of Staten Island’s first bluebelt system (right).

Free Events in All Five Boroughs Will Take Place Between May 16 and 21

Opportunity to Learn About Progress Made on NYC’s Comprehensive Waterfront Plan

Department of City Planning (DCP) invited New Yorkers to participate in a series of free events for NYC 520, an annual celebration of New York City’s 520 miles of waterfront. Organized by DCP in partnership with other agencies, practitioners and non-profit organizations, NYC 520 offers unique, educational opportunities to explore the city’s shoreline and waterways — including sites not typically open to the public. 

This year’s theme highlights progress on the NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, a 10-year, five-borough vision released in 2021 that outlines strategies to expand equitable access to the waterfront, including through parks, jobs and affordable, resilient housing.

Now in its ninth year, NYC 520 typically takes place on and around May 20th, and explores a different theme each year related to the city’s waterways and their impact on city’s residents, workers and visitors. As 2026 marks the midpoint of the 2021 Comprehensive Waterfront Plan and the next plan, this year’s events and tours will showcase how the city has achieved key goals for our waterfront and is setting the stage for even more to come. 

On Saturday, May 16:

• City Island Oyster Monitoring and Biodiversity Boat Activity, 8:45 am to 12 pm – DCP and City Island Oyster Reef will host a boat-based exploration of wetlands and waterfront ecosystems around City Island in the Bronx. Participants will learn about the Long Island Sound estuary and ongoing oyster reef restoration efforts.

On Sunday, May 17:

• East Side Coastal Resiliency Tour at East River Park, 11 am to 1 pm: Organized by DCP, DDC and One Architecture & Urbanism, this tour will highlight the transformation of East River Park into critical coastal protection infrastructure for Lower Manhattan.
• Hunters Point South Park Tour, 1 pm to 3 pm: Join DCP, HPD, Parks, and other partners on a walking tour of Hunter’s Point South Park in Long Island City. Learn about its transformation into a resilient public space that integrates landscape and infrastructure, and its role as a front yard to over 3,000 units of mixed-income housing.

On Monday, May 18:

• Conference House Park Bluebelt Tour, 10 am to 11:30 am – DCP and DEP will lead a guided tour of Staten Island’s first bluebelt system. Participants will learn how green infrastructure, such as wetlands and restored streams, supports stormwater management.

On Wednesday, May 20:

• NYC Ferry Homeport at Pier C Tour, 3 pm to 4:30 pm: NYC Ferry, NYCEDC, and Hornblower Group will offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the NYC Ferry homeport, including insights into operations, careers and a fleet that serves nearly eight million riders annually.

On Thursday, May 21:

• WindScape Brooklyn, 5:30 pm to 7 pm: Join DCP for an evening at WindScape Brooklyn, New York’s first learning center focused on offshore wind education. Overlooking the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, the center features exhibits on offshore wind technology in an interactive and immersive experience for visitors of all ages.

New York City’s waterways encompass 156 square miles of public open space (more than 100 Central Parks). Access to these waterways continues to expand through ongoing investments in new waterfront parks and open spaces, the product of years of hard work and coordination by community organizations, members of the public and City and State agencies.

Thanks to the vision laid out in the NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, access to the shoreline for New Yorkers has been expanded in all five boroughs with new Waterfront Public Access Areas in Gowanus, Halletts Point and Bronx Point. The recently-approved OneLIC Neighborhood Plan is another example of how the city will boost public access through an expanded public space along the East River, unifying the shoreline from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park. 

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the future of New York City, working to create thriving and dynamic neighborhoods with access to housing and jobs, resilient infrastructure, and a vibrant public realm. The Department engages communities to develop inclusive plans, expands housing access and economic opportunity, and plans for long-term sustainability.

DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of hundreds of land use applications. The Department also advises on citywide strategic and capital planning, analyzes data, conducts policy analysis, and creates open data and civic engagement tools.