Under the Arches: A Community Needs Assessment Playbook for Gotham Park

For nearly a century after its completion in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge functioned as the mixed-use center of the neighborhood — its anchorages were used as wine cellars and the arcades were populated with commercial spaces. 100 years later, the sloping embankments became a beloved site for the city’s skateboarders and BMX bikers. Beginning in the late 20th century, however, public access and activity around the Bridge at street level has been slowly choked off. After decades of disuse and disinvestment, a coalition of community advocates led by the nonprofit organization Gotham Park has been working to reopen and reactivate the Arches — nine acres of public space within, underneath, and around the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side.

To support Gotham Park’s future phases of fundraising, development, and engagement, this project details the stories of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Arches and the people who care about these spaces. It also outlines a community needs assessment playbook to guide future engagement, informed by research, site visits, and interviews with community members and leaders.