Desire Lines and Daylighting is a new body of work by photographer Nathan Kensinger exploring informal access points along three of NYC’s larger waterways – Flushing Creek, Harlem River, and Newtown Creek – and documenting the work of community groups creating public access along the waterfront. The photographs feature abandoned train lines and dead end streets where local residents have created unique green spaces and shoreline pathways. They also show areas where plans for more formalized parks and trails are underway, as well as daylighting projects that will restore paved over sections along waterways.
Although NYC has 520 miles of coastline and dozens of waterfront parks, it’s difficult for many New Yorkers to find access to the nearest waterway. Hundreds of thousands of residents in waterfront neighborhoods have been cut off from the coastline by train lines, highways, and industry. To get to the water, the best route is often an informal trail, blazed by neighborhood residents. Sometimes called “desire lines,” these unofficial pathways are hidden behind fences and on dead-end streets.
The photos in this series were taken between 2024 and 2025, while Kensinger was the Photo Urbanism Fellow at the Design Trust For Public Space. During his yearlong fellowship, he focused on issues of waterfront equity and the work of local waterfront organizations, including the Guardians of Flushing Bay, Harlem River Coalition, Newtown Creek Alliance, NYC H2O, and South Bronx Unite.
Nathan Kensinger is Brooklyn-based artist and journalist. He has created photo essays, documentary films, public art projects, and video installations focused on New York City’s changing coastlines. Learn more at nathankensinger.com and on Instagram @nathankensinger.
