Quick, name a sprawling national park that’s only a stone’s throw away from the millions of people who live and work in New York City.  (And no, it isn’t Central Park—in fact, you could easily fit 30 Central Parks inside its borders.) The correct answer is Gateway National Recreation Area, 26,000 acres of coastal land that you may have glimpsed the last time you flew into JFK International Airport. Never heard of it? You’re not alone. A survey of 1,200 New York-area residents revealed that only half were aware of its existence. But 35 years after the park’s creation, that may be about to change.

“Like its sister park across the country, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Gateway has its origins in the Outdoor Recreation Bill, signed by President Kennedy in 1963,” says Alexander Brash, regional director for NPCA’s Northeast regional office. “The 1960s were a turbulent time for America’s urban areas, and it was increasingly clear there was a need for more recreational and outdoor opportunities, especially for those who couldn’t necessarily afford a trip to Yellowstone or Yosemite.”

So New York City, New York state, New Jersey, and the federal government cobbled together parcels of land in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and coastal property across the Raritan Bay in New Jersey. By 1972, these 12 upland sites and 12 islands had come under the Park Service’s jurisdiction as Gateway National Recreation Area. The marsh islands and grasslands of the Jamaica Bay unit form a refuge for thousands of birds and other wildlife. Military forts on Staten Island and Sandy Hook reflect the history of our nation’s coastal defense. And Floyd Bennett Field, where the first trans-Atlantic flight originated, is now home to historic aircraft being restored by veterans.

“Gateway is a sparkling green jewel in the midst of a gray urban mosaic,” says Brash. “Because of its location along the Atlantic Flyway, the park attracts millions of migrating birds each spring and fall.” As one of the East Coast’s biggest estuaries, Gateway hosts more than 330 species of birds such as resident peregrine falcons, and migrating warblers, terns, and ducks.

People, however, haven’t been flocking to Gateway. The park simply hasn’t blossomed in the same way as Golden Gate National Recreation Area 3,000 miles away. Federal commitment to urban parks slowed dramatically after the park’s creation, and its natural resources have declined in recent years, as evidenced in a recent report by NPCA’s Center for the State of the Parks.

“In the past two decades the people of New York City have recognized that quality of life is a vital part of any functioning city,” says Brash. “At the same time, NPCA has increasingly turned its attention to historical sites and urban parks, which provide recreation opportunities for millions of people, and often serve as their introduction to the world’s greatest park system.”

Thus the impetus for a design competition to reenvision the park, and reconnect it to city residents who live within a few miles of its borders. In May, 12 judges reviewed 97 proposals from 22 countries, all submitted as part of a project called “Envisioning Gateway.” NPCA led the effort, with help from Columbia University and the Van Alen Institute, and funding from the Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Some of the concepts that emerged from the competition included turning Jamaica Bay into a research station that uses green technologies; adding floating hydroponic pods to address the loss of wetlands; and concentrating recreation areas so that ecological balance might be restored to more natural areas.

Six finalists were selected and their visions are now posted at www.npca.org/gateway. NPCA is encouraging the region’s residents, and indeed every park lover, to review the proposals and voice their support for the best concepts by September 15. This fall, the winning designs and public feedback will be presented to the Park Service for consideration, just as officials prepare a general management plan to shape the park’s future. If the proposals receive much-needed support from the federal government, Gateway might eventually reach the potential of Golden Gate, emerging as an iconic park for local residents and international visitors alike.