International Mission in the United States Visits Brooklyn Bridge Park in NY

On the first day of international work in the United States, this Monday (7/3), Governor Eduardo Light and a delegation of secretaries toured Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York. Situated on the edge of the East River, just below the Brooklyn Bridge, the 34-hectare park adds to Manhattan’s views, gardens, river crossings, play and recreation areas, and restaurants.

There, the delegation was welcomed by Eric Landau, President of Bridge Park, Brooklyn. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the park’s concession offer model to identify how Rio Grande do Sul – especially for the port’s revival in Porto Alegre – can transform the experience. The location of Brooklyn Bridge Park today was part of a joint harbor between the states of New York and New Jersey that was no longer used.

“It is interesting to note that there has been a debate with the community here for 20 years. We think our difficulties are absurd, in fact it has been a long time coming, but we have a personal initiative based on investing in the United States. It took 20 years here too, and it took 10 years to decide the offer axes and build the park. I hope we can overcome the challenges and rebuild the renovated park, ”the governor said.

New York City acquired the area and formed a company called Bridge Park in Brooklyn, which provides parts to the private sector. However, there are some differences between the concession model between Brazil and the United States. Under U.S. law, the provision of space for construction can be up to 99 years – in Brazil, the offer is valid for a maximum of 50 years.

“We seize the opportunity to establish a partnership with the private sector, as we have designed in the RSS. Investment in reclaiming the area is still planned, and in modeling, something will be built to ensure that the private sector is also responsible for the maintenance of the areas.

Leonardo Pusato, the extraordinary secretary for the partnership, recalled that 10% of the BBP area was earmarked for the private sector – hotels, restaurants and businesses. In Cais Mauá, less than 10% of the space is allocated for this purpose. “We will have a public space with business spaces. It is also worth noting that it took ten years to create the PPP. It is a process that is being carried out in one phase, and when implemented, the community, which had a certain resistance, began to see this renaissance as bringing life, movement and income, so the acceptability of the project increased. In Porto Alegre it will be our challenge: to show that this is possible and to make people re-enjoy the space in the harbor cave. We see that there are many similarities between the two cases, ”the secretary explained.

The park is run by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, a non-profit organization that plans, builds, maintains and operates the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Refer to the NYPD Joint Operational Command

The New York Police Department (NYPD) Joint Action Command was also one of the escorts on Monday (7). The New York City Center for Operational and Strategic Command and Control, the site serves as a tool for monitoring protests and major events, for example, preventing and combating crime. Special Agent Tony Emmanuel and Lieutenant John Mahon described the operation of the site. There are 50,000 security cameras throughout the city and are monitored by 35,000 New York Police officers.

“We are already inspired by the work of the NY Police to build the GESeg system (a platform for expanding automated data analysis in the fight against crime). It is important that we have the intention to move in the right direction. We are on a good track, which reinforces that the investments made in RS Seguro and the advance on public safety now are in the right direction, “Lead said.

Stability agenda for RS

Co-Secretaries are Alsons Palestrin (Innovation, Science and Technology), Order Lemos (Gaza Civil), Attorney General of the State, Eduardo Cunha da Costa, Lomos, Executive Director of the Regional Development Bank for Line, and Frederic Ant, President of the Legislative Assembly. The Governor met with Jeffrey Sox, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development and Lisa Sachs, Director of the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment.

Leite presented investment plans for the decorbonization and energy transformation of the Rio Grande do Zulu. The change plan prepared for Paraguay is one of the highlights of the Rio Grande do Sul project.

“We want to enter into an agreement with this center so that we can develop our own action plan. We are also talking about what steps we can take to reduce emissions from land use, plantations and livestock conversion, for example public transport, the second largest generator of the greenhouse effect, ”Lead explained.

According to the governor, the greenhouse gas emissions action plan starts with the conversion of public transport. “The Earth Institute at Columbia University could be a fulcrum. The states are working very hard on this agenda, but there is still a lack of intelligence and human resource organization, which is thinking about this agenda at the sub-national level. Therefore, it is important to bring in this external support, “he stressed.

Finally, the Governor visited the headquarters of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations body responsible for assisting countries to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. Based in New York City, it is the UN’s largest development assistance agency with offices in more than 170 countries and territories. There, Leight was welcomed by George Gray Molina, head of strategic engagement and chief economist of the project.

“This exchange with the UNDP is strategic within the relations with the RS we intend to create as an opportunity for sustainable development. We are particularly keen to seek partnerships that will support us in shaping public policy. This will be an opportunity to work with UNDP advisers to change energy metrics and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

Line Lemos, executive director of the BRDE, said he would be the executive secretary of the UNDP G20. “All global decisions regarding decarbonization today go through the UNDP. Therefore, this relationship between the RS and the UNDP is very relevant,” he stressed.

UNDP works closely with accelerating laboratories for the goals of the Sustainable Development Program, which focuses specifically on the ESG – environment, community and governance.

_{Text: Susie Skorton
Editing: Marcelo Flach / Secom}