Connecting Governors Island to Lower Manhattan

In a journey that spanned more than 14 years, I had experimented with various approaches to expand Lower Manhattan . A few of those attempts were recorded in the graduate thesis book I wrote for my Master of Architecture from SUNY in 2000.
One of the findings recorded in my thesis was that Lower Manhattan will expand to incorporate Governors Island . The size and shape of the expansion may fluctuate, but the certainty of its construction will not.
The title of my thesis is “IN-FILL IS-LAND”. Infill Island illustrates the fact that a small island located near the southern tip of Lower Manhattan, named Governors Island was originally around 70 acres, and due to an infill that took place in 1901, it expanded to become 200 acres. “Infill Is Land” is my favorite way to read the title of my thesis. It pertains that the Infill in Lower Manhattan creates new land is a historically authenticated fact.
After the events of September 11th, my thesis gained urgency and its relevance became compelling as a rebuilding approach for Lower Manhattan . I re-envisioned the expansion outlined in my thesis incorporating the new situation in Lower Manhattan . By 2006 I developed five expansion alternatives. Lower Manhattan ’s expansion can be any one of them or a hybrid between any two or more of these schemes.
Today’s photo essay is to introduce one of these expansion schemes
The Urban Surgery
One may view the joining of Governors Island and Manhattan in a manner similar to that of performing a transplantation surgery. In order to begin connecting Governors Island (the foreign object) to Manhattan (the main body) we must extend the arteries and veins from the original body to reach the foreign object. The blood vessels that will bring life to Governors Island are the crucial mass transit systems and the highway system. The result of this "operation" would be the ‘stitching” of Governors Island to Lower Manhattan . This will expand Manhattan and make any urban endeavors deemed previously impossible, very possible. This expansion is instrumental today and the future of Manhattan depends on it. If we can forecast the future shouldn’t we plan our present accordingly? We make huge obsolete investments and crucial urban planning decisions based on expired facts that will certainly negate the urban future of New York . Shouldn’t we factor in a future that we are lucky to have had a glimpse of?
Manhattan owes a significant portion of its success to the subway system. It has served the city well and is able when reaching the new expansion to declare it another part of the city.
My M-Arch thesis explored various expansion approaches, the enclosed diagrams schematically highlight one expansion approach.
Governors Island for so long has been an “extra.” It has lived a life of self-denial offering a great defense service to New York . After couple hundred years of military career, it is time for stardom. It is the time for Governors Island to be on the center stage. Any expandability of Lower Manhattan is sure to incorporate Governors Island which is only a stone’s throw away. Soon Manhattan ’s heart beats will be heard in Governors Island .