Brooklyn's Vernacular Waterfront

As New York moves to transform its once-industrial waterfront into vibrant zones of leisure, commerce and housing, another form of waterfront revitalization is occurring along Brooklyn's East River waterfront. Using abandoned waterfront facilities and infrastructure, local residents have created their own recreational, productive and social environments. These informal or vernacular uses include everything from simple recreation, such as fishing or bird watching, to more involved and organized events such as art shows, performances, film shoots, concerts, community gatherings and light manufacturing. This on-going inquiry attempts to gain greater understanding of how people are using the Brooklyn waterfront informally, shedding light on the location, scope and magnitude of such uses. It also seeks to understand why these informal interactions are important to individuals, waterfront neighbourhoods and cities in general.