Since the waterfront was isolated until recently, it was often the location of last resort for many of these non-maritime uses that were difficult to locate in inland areas. Interest in the reuse of the waterfront has been spurred in part by the debate over redevelopment proposals such as those for the West Side Highway, Riverwalk and the Penn Yards. This plan for Manhattan's waterfront builds on, and integrates, the plans and studies recently completed or under way. Its guiding principle is to reunite the upland with the waterfront so that more of it becomes accessible and enjoyable to the public. In many places in Manhattan, deteriorated conditions along the shoreline and the difficulty of access have made the waterfront seem undesirable and remote.
Manhattan is unique among the boroughs in that most of the shoreline is owned by the city or state.
A waterfront esplanade would reconnect the upland with the water, increase waterfront recreationalopportunities, and provide a shorefront link between communities. An esplanade can be created in part by improving public land, such as underutilized or unconnected public lands and parks, and in part by requiring private developers to provide waterfront access and amenities to the public. Closing the gaps between existing public spaces, such as the one between Battery Park and Battery Park City, is a high priority for opening the waterfront to more people. However, in some places, such as along parts of the Harlem River, topographic conditions and the intervening highway preclude a waterfront esplanade. Instead, continuous access would be provided via bridge links to the proposed Harlem River Esplanade on the Bronx side of the river.