{"id":133862,"date":"2026-05-01T09:19:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T08:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/?p=133862"},"modified":"2026-05-06T13:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T12:24:13","slug":"thomas-balsley-why-not-give-people-something-different","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/thomas-balsley-why-not-give-people-something-different\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Balsley: Why Not Give People Something Different?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Balsley is a central figure in shaping contemporary public space in New York City, with a career spanning more than four decades. His work has focused on transforming post-industrial waterfronts into resilient and socially active public landscapes. His portfolio includes more than 100 projects, among them Hunter\u2019s Point South Waterfront Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, Riverside Park South, and Peggy Rockefeller Plaza. Balsley is the recipient of the National ASLA Design Medal and has taught and lectured at institutions including Harvard GSD. We talked with him about Hunter&#8217;s Point South, designing in New York, and also the Netherlands where <a href=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/landscape-architects\/swa-balsley\/\">SWA\/Balsley<\/a> is working on a harbour area.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"944\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1-1270x944.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1-1270x944.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1-630x468.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1-768x571.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1-1536x1141.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-cover-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h6><a href=\"https:\/\/oroeditions.com\/product\/thomas-balsley-uncommon-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thomas Balsley, Uncommon Ground, Oro Editions<\/a><\/h6>\n<p><strong>Za\u0161 Brezar:<\/strong><strong> We did an interview with you a little over 10 years ago. Back then, Hunter\u2019s Point South Phase One had just been finished. Now, the park is complete \u2014 and after visiting the site, it appears well-loved.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thomas Balsley: That concept began in 1993. We started with a master plan for the whole waterfront \u2014 Gantry Plaza all the way up and down. The first phase was Gantry Plaza State Park. It was built before anything else; nothing much around, just two-story buildings and old Chevrolet trucks buried. It was that bad. Gantry was a dead-end park at the time; it was not yet part of a system. With linear parks, you can\u2019t finish overnight; you start with one piece. If that piece stands alone, it can get abused. So it had to be strong and rugged.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1-1270x714.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1-1270x714.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Waterway-Park-Jonnu-Singleton-0229-2-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>We wanted that toughness to reflect the site\u2019s history \u2014 railroads, guys slamming boxcars. That was how we told the story of the place. And even in 1993, we knew: storms are coming, tides are rising, the river is rough. It had to be resilient. By 2007, when we moved on to Hunter\u2019s Point South, climate change and storm surge were already in the air. We wanted a protective barrier \u2014 but more than just engineering. At Gantry, we\u2019d tried to grow marsh between the piers, but the current wiped it out. We underestimated the river.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-3\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1-1270x714.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1-1270x714.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0835-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>So this time we knew: the marsh needed protection first, so it could protect us later. That\u2019s when we worked with the engineers at Arup \u2014 they understood what we wanted by embracing the idea of <em>landscape engineering.<\/em> Together, we asked: <em>why must a revetment be all stone? On the river side, sure \u2014 but inside, why not landscape it?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Then came the thought: make it wider, so people can walk right at the water\u2019s edge. Picture it \u2014 dark skies, rising tide, marsh on one side, skyline on the other. A new kind of New York experience, just by widening the revetment. And it worked. Rangers say more people walk the revetment than the main promenade. Of course \u2014 they want to be down close, in nature\u2019s hands, with the river and skyline right there.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1.jpg' title=\"Hunter\u2019s Point South, phase 2, photo David Lloyd\" data-rl_title=\"Hunter\u2019s Point South, phase 2, photo David Lloyd\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-4\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"847\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1-1270x847.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-4-133865\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1-1270x847.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-07271-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-4-133865'>\n\t\t\t\tHunter\u2019s Point South, phase 2, photo David Lloyd\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Speaking about the skyline \u2014 it has changed so much in the past decade. You\u2019re a New Yorker, how do you see it transformed by those thin skyscrapers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I came here in 1969. After 9\/11, everyone said: <em>no one will ever go up in a high-rise again, no one will ever build one again.<\/em> Never. And what do we have? I\u2019m not saying I like them, but I\u2019m glad we didn\u2019t lose our optimism. We weren\u2019t afraid \u2014 something shifted.<\/p>\n<p>Herbert Muschamp, the Times critic, kept saying, in the \u201990s, that New York had no courage \u2014 no courageous landscapes, no courageous architecture. We kept pointing to Battery Park City: landfill, environmentally awful, a bulkhead not in touch with water or nature. He hated it.<\/p>\n<p>But he praised me because I tried to do something different \u2014 break the egg to make the omelette. He said we were paralysed, under glass. He\u2019d be pleased to see this new courage in the skyline. Some who love old New York might not be, but you can\u2019t freeze a skyline. It\u2019s a power game \u2014 it has to evolve.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-5\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1-1270x836.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1-1270x836.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1-630x415.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1-1536x1011.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skyline-NYC-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>A hundred years ago, it was also a power game, but it felt like everyone helped shape the skyline together. Today, the towers feel obscenely high \u2014 just showing off money, stacking real estate stock, no sense of a common goal?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>True, it was more collective before. Now governments feel paralysed \u2014 not by money, but by process. Layers of boards, agencies, approvals, and neighbourhood opposition. It either stops things or waters them down. As I say, the camel is the horse designed by a committee.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Phase Two of Hunter\u2019s Point South feels quite different from the first. I\u2019m talking about the <\/strong><em><strong>image<\/strong><\/em><strong> of the park. How limited is that by those boards, agencies and committees?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Very. Think of the parks people love: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Domino, the High Line, Hudson River Park. None of them are New York City Parks Department projects.<\/p>\n<p>When you work for NYC Parks \u2014 which we do \u2014 budgets are low and maintenance even lower. They simply can\u2019t maintain at the level those other parks do with conservancies and private donors. That\u2019s why we\u2019re so proud of Hunter\u2019s Point South. It\u2019s a New York City park, built with city money, maintained by city workers. Nobody\u2019s picking every blade of grass.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-6' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1.jpg' title=\"Protective barrier at Hunter\u2019s Point South, Phase 2, photo Landezine\" data-rl_title=\"Protective barrier at Hunter\u2019s Point South, Phase 2, photo Landezine\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-6\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"817\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1-1270x817.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-6-133867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1-1270x817.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1-630x405.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-4-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-6-133867'>\n\t\t\t\tProtective barrier at Hunter\u2019s Point South, Phase 2, photo Landezine\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Our approach was: resilient but simple. Cast-in-place concrete, native plants, no irrigation. No granite pavers, no custom details. Yet when you walk in, you feel its strength.<\/p>\n<p>We have to sympathise with the Parks Department \u2014 underfunded, constantly repairing old parks, never enough staff. So the design has to be responsible. If a bench breaks, they need another in the warehouse \u2014 not a custom piece from Landscape Forms. They\u2019re forced into standard materials, and for good reason.<\/p>\n<p>Philosophically, should every city park look different, or share a recognisable DNA? I don\u2019t know. Sometimes I like to step outside the mould.<\/p>\n<p>At Hunter\u2019s Point, we had that chance. The client wasn\u2019t the Parks Department but the Economic Development Corporation, backed by the mayor\u2019s office. They wanted a park above and beyond. Parks still had to approve maintenance, but we had the license to do something different. Such moments are rare.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-7' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1.jpg' title=\"Hunters Point South Phase II, photo by David Lloyd\" data-rl_title=\"Hunters Point South Phase II, photo by David Lloyd\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-7\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"847\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1-1270x847.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-7-133868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1-1270x847.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-Phase-II-David-Lloyd-0071-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-7-133868'>\n\t\t\t\tHunters Point South Phase II, photo by David Lloyd\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>People should remember \u2014 Phase Two\u2019s topography is unheard of on the Brooklyn or Queens shoreline. There\u2019s no natural rise along the river, and suddenly you\u2019re 30 feet above it. That came from an industrial landfill left from tunnel construction.<\/p>\n<p>We could have levelled it, made another flat Battery Park City. Instead, we said: let it be dynamic. Let the road rise with the fill, the buildings rise with it, the park rise with it. Use the topography \u2014 when you\u2019re 30 feet up on a waterfront, your view and your whole sense of place change completely.<\/p>\n<p>And then the island: it could\u2019ve been another peninsula. But we thought \u2014 focus on the experience. You climb the hill, look downriver to Brooklyn, and watch the sunset. The overlook \u2014 best wedding photo spot in New York. Why not give people something different? So we carved the land away, leaving a small island by itself. Behind you, the community disappears \u2014 it\u2019s just you, the river, the skyline.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-8' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1.jpg' title=\"Hunters Point South, photo by David Lloyd\" data-rl_title=\"Hunters Point South, photo by David Lloyd\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-8\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"846\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1-1270x846.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-8-133869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1-1270x846.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-David-Lloyd-0882-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-8-133869'>\n\t\t\t\tHunters Point South, photo by David Lloyd\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>That\u2019s the beauty of Phase Two. Together with Phase One \u2014 the dog run, playgrounds, rail garden, Great Lawn, terrace, and ferry terminal \u2014 it completes the picture. The community amenities, plus that piece of nature and elevation, make a full park. It checks all the boxes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Perceptually, the second phase feels like an antidote to the city grid.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exactly. Within five minutes, you\u2019re in a completely different environment. That\u2019s pretty magical. That\u2019s rare.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You also work elsewhere. How do you compare designing for New York and other cities?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d rather do Hunter\u2019s Point South all the time. Sure, a little more budget would\u2019ve been nice \u2014 maybe a paving pattern; every designer wants that.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re on the city\u2019s list to design in any borough \u2014 Staten Island, Queens. Some parks aren\u2019t sexy, but they matter. They\u2019re for the people who live there. I\u2019ve been doing this since 1969, when the city was in rough shape, almost unlivable. I\u2019ve seen how far collective work has brought us.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve never forgotten that the city is made up of those people \u2014 outer Staten Island, Queens, the two-fare zone, way up in the Bronx. That\u2019s still New York. They need parks that resonate, and I\u2019m proud to be part of that.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-9' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"953\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1-1270x953.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1-1270x953.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1-630x473.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hunters-Point-South-by-Landezine-1-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>I noticed you\u2019re working on something in Europe, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to be precise. What&#8217;s your experience working there?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve been working on Rotterdam&#8217;s biggest harbour. The urban design director and deputy mayor had visited Hunter\u2019s Point South. When they got home, they called: \u201cHow did you do this?\u201d We talked about our approach \u2014 people-centric, community-centric \u2014 building design from the ground up, not pounding a square peg into a round hole. They were as taken by the process as by the park itself.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-10' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1.webp' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-10\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1-1270x714.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1-1270x714.webp 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1-630x354.webp 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-1-1.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>In Europe, most parks come from design competitions. But those often happen without a year of community dialogue, without building consensus. A scheme wins because it looks great, and then the neighbourhood is stuck with it. That\u2019s why I avoid competitions unless there\u2019s real community input \u2014 otherwise, it\u2019s a slim chance the park will ever be loved.<\/p>\n<p>The harbour we are in, Maashaven, was once Rotterdam\u2019s largest. Historic photos show it shoulder to shoulder with boats, steam pouring out, constant loading and unloading. Now it\u2019s empty. The housing around it, once for dockworkers, is now home to immigrant families looking for affordable homes. And they looked around: no parks for their kids, no open space.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-11' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1.webp' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-11\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1-630x354.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1-630x354.webp 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1-1270x714.webp 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-6-1.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1.webp' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-11\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1-630x354.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1-630x354.webp 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1-1270x714.webp 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-11-1.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>The city could\u2019ve said: \u201cThere\u2019s a park two train stops away.\u201d Instead, they said: \u201cLet\u2019s build it here.\u201d Environmentally, you could question putting land back into water, but this water was dead, with no habitat at all. Why not make it a park for the people? That was their idea. Then they invited us to compete with a couple of local firms \u2014 and we were selected.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-12' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1.webp' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-12\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1-1270x714.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1-1270x714.webp 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1-630x354.webp 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nelson-Mandela-Park_Updated-7-1.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>And the Dutch know how to dig, how to deal with water, and how to reclaim land. They protect themselves from it. They have this practical sense that lets them step back from the \u201ctree-hugger\u201d philosophy and just say: let\u2019s be Dutch, let\u2019s be practical. That wouldn\u2019t happen in New York. We\u2019re proud of this one \u2014 we\u2019re filling land, the engineering is happening. And after we were selected, they decided to do the same thing in the next harbour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How keen are you about using AI in your office?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We were invited to an international competition for a park in Russia. I didn\u2019t have much time, so I drew the entire one-mile park by hand. No digital work, not a single CAD plan. Just freehand drawings \u2014 and we won.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-13' class='gallery galleryid-133862 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-13\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"907\" src=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch-1270x907.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch-1270x907.jpg 1270w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch-630x450.jpg 630w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Uncommon-ground-sketch.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>We\u2019re so digitised now. The resumes we get from schools hardly have any hand drawings. When we present a big idea, we always include some. When they\u2019re up on the wall, people fixate on them. They can see someone <em>lives<\/em> in those drawings \u2014 a human being, human hands. You almost reach the point where you say, \u201cThat\u2019s AI.\u201d But it\u2019s somebody real in there.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s still a place for that kind of humanity to find its way back into what we do \u2014 without just showing off technology. \u201cHow many models can I show you?\u201d Now it\u2019s about fly-throughs. Why would we present an experience with a still photo when we\u2019ve had video at our fingertips all along?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how we won Rotterdam. I brought a five-minute video of Hunter\u2019s Point South. At the end of the interview, I gave a signal \u2014 lights off. A slide: \u201cImagine your park.\u201d Black room. Then the video \u2014 volunteers, moms with babies, people in it. It showed the design, but also life happening there. Practically tears in the room. Everyone said <em>that<\/em> was it \u2014 you understood the human side. You show life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Balsley is a central figure in shaping contemporary public space in New York City, with a career spanning more than four decades. His work has focused on transforming post-industrial waterfronts into resilient and socially active public landscapes. His portfolio includes more than 100 projects, among them Hunter\u2019s Point South Waterfront Park, Gantry Plaza State [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":133879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2357,1386,2374,2375],"tags":[490,722],"collection":[],"firm":[],"university":[],"manufacturer":[],"photographer":[],"product":[],"topics":[3623,3279,3275],"class_list":["post-133862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-interview","category-pos1","category-pos2","tag-swa-group","tag-swa-balsley","topics-thomas-balsley","topics-voices-from-practice","topics-zas-brezar"],"acf":[],"wps_subtitle":"Thomas Balsley: Why Not Give People Something Different?","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-23 11:26:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133862"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133932,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133862\/revisions\/133932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collection?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"firm","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/firm?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"university","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/university?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manufacturer?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/photographer?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=133862"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/landezine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=133862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}