That's a big deck!

When the Covid-19 crisis passes in the U.S. - residents in Queens, New York, will have a major new development to look forward to.

Plans have been developed to add almost 46 hectares of new public space by placing flexible decking across the top of the Sunnyside Yard project.

Lead agencies Amtrak and the New York Economic Development Corporation (NYEDC) have developed a masterplan which will add 12,000 affordable homes, 24 hectares of new open space, and a new rail station to the publicly-controlled site.

The deck structure over the rail yards will be able to support streets, infrastructure, open space and buildings.

The Master Plan, “envisions Sunnyside Yard as a human-centred neighbourhood with a robust mix of uses embodying the vibrancy of Queens. This vision embraces the density and variety that make urban neighbourhoods walkable, lively, and environmentally sustainable.”

Western Queens has experienced rapid growth in the last 15 years, placing massive strain on infrastructure, transport and housing. With 780 trains running through the Yard each day, it is a critical piece of national rail infrastructure.

New York mayor, Bill de Blasio, says, “Sunnyside Yard presents a once in a generation opportunity to create a new model for affordable housing and equitable development.”

Amtrak completed the plan to upgrade Sunnyside Yard, and extend neighbourhoods over the yard, in 2014, and the City of New York and Amtrak began planning the development in the summer of 2018, seeking extensive community engagement.

The deck structure over the rail yards will be able to support streets, infrastructure, open space and buildings. Covering more than 80% of the Yard, at 115 acres, it will be accessible by surrounding neighbourhoods with the lower deck height providing a smooth transition.

Small city blocks, of 240x240-feet, are proposed for improved walkability, and building density and heights will reflect the scale of existing neighbourhoods around the yard.

Western Queens has experienced rapid growth in the last 15 years, placing massive strain on infrastructure.

A safe street network designed to prioritise walking and biking will feature, with wide footpaths, shared streets, separate cycle and bus lanes and ADA-accessible pedestrian connections. This new street grid will be nearly 1/3 dedicated to open space and infrastructure improvements. Sunnyside Yard will be a transit-first community with people-first streets.

Forty per cent of the plan is dedicated to neighbourhood parks and greenways, with networks of open space connecting major parks, and large parks on the edge of the yard placed in close proximity to existing communities. The Central Greenway and Skillman Avenue Linear Park will form the east-west spine of the yard.

The Sunnyside Yard Master Plan allows for sustainable and resilient growth by providing elevated land away from the floodplain, infrastructure designed for extreme weather, and circular systems such as on-site renewable energy storage and production, rainwater capture and harvesting, and waste management and energy storage all integrated into the structural deck. The development is aiming for carbon neutrality.

With 780 trains running through the Yard each day, it is a critical piece of national rail infrastructure.

Green buildings made mostly of cross-laminated timber and Glulam will also feature green roofs and solar panels, and vegetation will provide shading, and a green buffer that acts as a carbon sink and stormwater collection site.

New York mayor, Bill de Blasio, says that, “Sunnyside Yard presents a once in a generation opportunity to create a new model for affordable housing and equitable development. With a plan that delivers a new Sunnyside station along with 12,000 affordable homes, equitable homeownership opportunities, open space, schools, and more, we are fighting for a New York New Yorkers can afford.”

This vision embraces the density and variety that make urban neighbourhoods walkable, lively, and environmentally sustainable.