Opinion: Funding Infrastructure That New Yorkers Deserve

“Unless we embrace the full potential of flexible, cost-effective collaborations between the city and civic-oriented non-profits, moments like the QueensWay setback will become the norm, not the exception.“

Earlier this summer, New York City lost out on $112 million in federal funding for the QueensWay, a project championed by a community-driven partnership that is working to transform an abandoned rail corridor in Queens into a vibrant new greenway. It was a devastating setback for a project that promised health, mobility and environmental benefits in one of the city’s most park-starved boroughs.

But the damage goes beyond the project itself and extends to the urgency and need we face in fostering and funding more partnerships that bring together the city and community-based non-profits. No matter who wins this fall’s mayoral election, we must address a housing crisis, modernize failing infrastructure, expand our parkland and build a more resilient, equitable city. 

It’s a lot to get done, but unless we embrace the full potential of flexible, cost-effective collaborations between the city and civic-oriented non-profits, moments like the QueensWay setback will become the norm, not the exception.

The Central Park Conservancy was a pioneer in this space more than 40 years ago, when the organization was founded to address decades of public disinvestment in Central Park, one of the most treasured public spaces in the world. The Great Lawn had become a dustbowl, the Harlem Meer a trash-strewn mud puddle, while graffiti marred virtually every structure and rock outcropping.

Over the years, the Conservancy has slowly restored the Park to its current, glorious state, culminating with the opening last spring of the Davis Center—a new pool and rink in Harlem that the Conservancy managed and delivered on time and on budget, thanks to a $60 million investment by the city and $100 million in private funding. 

Others have followed a similar path over the decades—from the High Line to Moynihan Train Hall and the new LaGuardia Airport. These new icons of our cityscape show what’s possible when the public sector sets priorities and the private sector helps deliver them. We can transform long-stalled plans into lasting civic assets.

To be sure, partnerships must be structured with transparency and accountability, and never in a way that elevates private interests over the public good. This is not about “privatizing” the public resources; it’s about harnessing private resources to enhance the public realm.  

The private sector can bring creative solutions, technical expertise, flexibility and long-term commitment that are often difficult to marshal within traditional public systems. But it’s the partnership—the alignment of public mission and private ingenuity—that enables these projects to succeed at the scale New Yorkers need.

It’s an approach that can be just as effectively applied to some of the city’s most pressing challenges—from housing to transit to climate infrastructure. Investing in 500,000 new units of housing, realizing a modernized Penn Station, and preparing communities to withstand intensifying storms all require imaginative thinking and funding well beyond what the city alone can muster, especially at a time when federal funding for urban projects is becoming less reliable and more erratic.

We also must not lose sight of forward-looking opportunities, such as the Interborough Express (IBX)—a transformative project that would connect transit deserts across Brooklyn and Queens. RPA has championed this project for years because it would reduce commute times, expand job access, and better connect millions of New Yorkers. To bring it to life, we’ll need serious investment—and creative partnerships to match.

New York is not alone in developing this approach. Los Angeles has leveraged partnerships to expand its Metro system. Chicago rebuilt and activated its Riverwalk through blended financing. Cities from London to Sydney are building the future through collaborations that align public interest with private capacity.

This is one of the most critical inflection points in our city’s modern history.  The next mayor has a rare opportunity to turn bold plans into lasting progress. But that will only happen if we use every tool at our disposal and build a city that works for all. 

New York’s infrastructure is not just about roads, rails or parks. It’s about people, possibility and the kind of city we choose to be. If we want to leave future generations with a more livable, just and connected New York, we must be bold enough to build it together.

That means embracing new models, removing unnecessary barriers and seizing every opportunity to align civic vision with collective investment. Our greatest moments of transformation have always come from this kind of partnership. The next administration has the opportunity to lead in that tradition—and to leave a legacy worthy of this city’s promise.

Tom Wright is president and CEO of Regional Plan Association (RPA). Betsy Smith is the president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy.