The sunken portion of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway was built by Robert Moses in the early1950s, cutting the neighborhood of Cobble Hill in half. Today the highway, one of the busiest in New York City, is a source of noise and pollution, and is difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to cross. The New York City Economic Development Corporation commissioned Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners with Kiss + Cathcart to create visions to improve the quality of the community in as many ways as possible.