he Gowanus Canal seems to be left over from Brooklyn’s industrial past. So, why spend billions trying to clean it up and restore it to a usable waterway? Why not drain it, cover it, and move on? Wouldn’t that be far cheaper?

— Posted by peters

Even if it were advisable from an environmental or engineering standpoint to contain hazardous releases at a water-based site by this method, such an approach ignores both the canal’s prominent history and its new role as a catalyst for redevelopment. Its restoration is central to the neighborhood’s economic health and further revitalization. Indeed, it is Gowanus’s defining feature, and this sense of place must not be lost. The community is clamoring for its remediation.

On a more fundamental level, the canal is a focal point for referencing and valuing the relationship of land to water, as well as city dwellers’ connections to water and their historical ties to this once renowned waterway. A well-conceived urban design, with ecologically sound landscaping that includes open spaces, parks and pathways, would create a significant new link to the revitalized neighborhood and to the city as a whole. It is also important to remember that the canal, which began life as a creek before it was enlarged in the 19th century to accommodate shipping, is part of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary and supports wildlife. We should support its further restoration, not pave it over.