Starr Whitehouse

See the final vision for Park Avenue’s green redesign

Bosque median at 50th Street. All renderings courtesy of Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners

September 18, 2026

See the final vision for Park Avenue’s green redesign

Plans to reimagine Park Avenue as a green oasis in the heart of Manhattan are moving forward. The city's Department of Transportation this week released the final design concept for the 11-block stretch of the corridor, which intends to bring the "park back to Park Avenue" by widening the traffic medians and adding greenery and seating. After gathering feedback from the public this spring, the city, along with Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners, the team leading the design, updated the concept to move the originally proposed two-way bike lane along the median into dedicated space, leaving enough room for both cyclists and pedestrians.
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NYC wants your feedback on Park Avenue redesign

Photo by Leslie Cross via Unsplash

April 29, 2026

NYC wants your feedback on Park Avenue redesign

By Aaron Ginsburg

The proposed redesign of Park Avenue could bring back lush green spaces to the iconic corridor's medians. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled two potential plans to overhaul an 11-block stretch from East 46th to East 57th Streets, both of which would widen the medians and remove one traffic lane in each direction to create pedestrian space. Renderings released on Wednesday show expanded sidewalks, additional trees, benches, and bike lanes in one of the proposals. To gain feedback from New Yorkers, DOT released an online survey seeking public feedback for both design concepts.
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New public waterfront esplanade opens at Astoria residential complex

All photos courtesy of Jeremy Frechette/The Durst Organization

August 12, 2025

New public waterfront esplanade opens at Astoria residential complex

By Aaron Ginsburg

A previously industrial stretch of the East River in Astoria has been transformed into a vibrant public waterfront esplanade, restoring access to the area for the first time in decades. On Monday, the Durst Organization celebrated the opening of the Halletts Point esplanade, located beside the developer’s 20 and 30 Halletts Point buildings. Designed by Starr Whitehouse, the 50,000-square-foot waterfront green space offers sweeping city skyline views, lots of seating, a playground, and picnic areas.
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Architecture And Design

NYC taps landscape architect to reimagine Park Avenue

Credit: Leslie Cross on Unsplash

June 27, 2025

NYC taps landscape architect to reimagine Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has selected a landscape architect to lead the pedestrian-focused transformation of Park Avenue. Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday announced that an 18-month contract has been awarded to Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners to redesign a portion of the iconic corridor between East 46th and East 57th Streets. The project will widen the median and install pedestrian upgrades, new seating, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities.
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New $18.3M sustainable playground opens at the Battery

Image courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for The Battery Conservancy

December 20, 2021

New $18.3M sustainable playground opens at the Battery

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of New York City's largest sustainable parks officially opened last week. Following a 25-year initiative, the Battery Conservancy on Thursday opened the Battery Playscape, a 1.5-acre playground that triples the size of the former park and aims to reinforce sustainable practices in its users through its eco-friendly design and features.
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$18.3M sustainable playground breaks ground at the Battery

The “bluffs” zone includes five granite slides and boulder scrambles; renderings courtesy of BKSK Architects & Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners

March 13, 2020

$18.3M sustainable playground breaks ground at the Battery

By Devin Gannon

As the threat of climate change grows, parks in New York City are working to become more resilient. Officials on Thursday broke ground on an $18.3 million waterfront playground at the Battery in the Financial District. The Battery Playscape, as it's being called, is expected to be one of the city's largest sustainable parks. It will triple the size of the current playground and will feature a rainwater runoff system and a wide variety of durable plants.
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September 9, 2016

Photographer Iwan Baan captures Bjarke Ingels’ now-complete Via 57 West from all angles

By Dana Schulz

On Wednesday, Bjarke Ingels' famous rental tetrahedron Via 57 West wrapped up construction, and now that the cranes are down and the shimmering facade panels are all set in place, we can see the building in its true glory. Architectural photographer Iwan Baan wasted no time, releasing a captivating set of images that showcase the half-block-long development from just about every angle, including some incredible aerial shots. First shared by designboom, the photographs provide never-before-seen vantages of the building's central courtyard, as well as views of how the 32-story building fits in with the skyline.
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Architecture And Design

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