What if New York were designed for the perfect delivery? KPF Urban’s answer was featured in the publication’s recent article, “NYC has a major delivery problem. These architects have a big vision to fix it.”
Written by Elissaveta M. Brandon, the article considers KPF’s proposals alongside historic patterns of goods distribution in New York City and details of the Blue Highways pilot project launched by the city’s Department of Transportation in December 2025.
KPF’s solution includes the creation of a connected distribution network that exploits New York’s existing freight rail lines, extensive coastline, and navigable waterways. A new, repeatable typology of distribution hubs is also proposed to integrate delivery by water, rail, EV, and drone.
The ideas were first published in “What if… Urban Speculations” in Connective Urbanism – New York, a new book from KPF. The essay by KPF Urban considers the future of the central business district, the potential of transit-oriented development, solutions for logistics, and the decarbonization of New York. “We didn’t want to have speculations that were just dreams,” says KPF Principal Bruce Fisher in the article, explaining that every idea in the book is based on real-life examples.
The essay reflects KPF’s mission to transform cities through impactful design and by identifying solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing the 21st-century city.
