Keep Building Along Waterfront, Ex-Dev Czar Says

The New York Observer spoke with Dan Doctoroff, the former deputy mayor for economic development, on the sustainability of building along the New York City waterfront in light of Hurricane Sandy. In his former capacity, Doctoroff was responsible for planning thousands of units along the waterfront in Williamsburg, pictured above, and Hunters Point. Not surprisingly, he believes in the continued development of the areas most susceptible to damage by a hurricane, despite what Mayor Bloomberg said Monday: “We cannot build a big barrier reef off the shore to stop the waves from coming in, we can’t build big bulkheads that cut people off from the water that they’re trying to do.” Doctoroff believes “strong building codes” and heeding evacuation warnings will keep shorefront property and residents safe. “I am obviously a believer in waterfront development,” he said, “but development that is buttressed by strong building codes and is done in conjunction with a smart adaptability strategy.” Doctoroff now oversees Bloomberg LP. As for the people who refused to leave the evacuated areas in the past few days, Doctoroff called them “fools.”
Dan Doctoroff Still Wants Waterfront Development — So Long As “Fools” Evacuate Next Time [Observer]
Photo by rubalisciousness