Little Island Opens in Hudson River Park

The opening of Little Island in May 2021 has brought an exciting new 2.4-acre public oasis to Hudson River Park. We prepared a critical shadow study for the reopening of Pier 54/55 as Little Island – designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Mathews Nielsen. Adjacent to the pier, we supported landside transportation and civil engineering efforts for a wide new pedestrian path and improved bikeway linking Little Island with other sections of the park. Our shadow assessment was conducted to determine the extent and duration of new shadows on the river and other nearby sun-sensitive resources, and whether the new shadows could result in adverse impacts. AKRF concluded the proposed pier would cast new shadows on portions of the surface of the Hudson River but they would not result in significant adverse impacts to aquatic ecology.

(Photo by Ashok Sinha Photography)