Northern Manhattan Parks
2030 Master Plan

From spring 2010 through fall 2011, NYC Parks' Planning & Parklands Division, together with the Northern Manhattan Parks Administrator, worked with Community Board 12 and an Advisory Council to prepare a master plan for the parks north of 155th Street in Manhattan.

The area needed a master plan in order to foster a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the network of parks and to guide the next 20 years of park revitalization.

Northern Manhattan

Map of Northern Manhattan, identifying locations of parks

Northern Manhattan offers extensive recreational facilities, playgrounds, ballfields, sports courts, and greenways. Its more than 600 acres of parks include unique ecological and geological features, historic landscapes, forests, wetlands, saltwater marshes, and more than nine miles of waterfront.

Community Vision

Community Board 12 asked for a master plan that would:

  • Connect parks to neighborhoods with green corridors and prominent gathering places.
  • Create safe, well-maintained and accessible parks.
  • Offer features and amenities that will serve the community’s needs and diverse interests.
  • Protect the natural environment including the geology, forest, wildlife and wetlands.
  • Provide safe and convenient access to bicycle routes and watercraft for recreation and commuting.
  • Advance design concepts that are relevant to the culture of the community.

Conceptual Plan

This master plan capitalizes on the open space’s strengths, resolves problem areas, and facilitates a coordinated long-term effort between agencies, non-profit partners, elected officials and community groups. We will use the Conceptual Plan to guide the next two decades of park network restoration.


Detail of Conceptual Plan Map. View the full Conceptual Plan Map.

Recent and Planned Capital Projects

More than $150 million have already been invested in capital projects to improve the park network uptown; close to 30 capital projects are either recently completed, in design, or soon to be constructed.


Detail of Capital Improvements Map. View the full Capital Improvements Map.

Partner Organizations

Nearly 60 different organizations are investing in over two dozen sites. They collaborate with Parks on fitness and arts programming, regular volunteer projects, and advocacy for their neighborhood parks.


Detail of Major Partner Organizations map. View the full Major Partner Organizations map.