New York Harbor
Symbolic merits of placing the UN within the Harbor context of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are obvious. There are also many practical arguments for such a move: the UN is acutely short of space, lacks a high tech infrastructure, and its growing security concerns are difficult to address in its dense neighborhood. Profits from redevelopment of the current UN buildings and sale of the land that is adjacent to very valuable real estate, would go a long way towards paying for the construction of new quarters. Lower Manhattan would benefit also: as UN-related functions gravitate there, they would help promote mixed-use development in the area.
Primary access to the Island would be by ferry to a new harbor on its western shore, with a heliport located on the eastern shore. Existing small boat harbor between the Island and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel air tower would remain open for public use. Services would be through a dock on the Buttermilk Channel; as tunneling technologies improve, access via the Tunnel will become achievable. Transportation on the Island would be limited to vehicles powered by electricity.