Ann L Buttenwieser

Ann L. Buttenwieser, author of Governors Island: the Jewel of New York Harbor (Syracuse University Press, 2009) and Manhattan Water-Bound (Syracuse University Press, 1999) is an urban planner and historian, and the preeminent authority on recreational waterfront land development in New York City. Ms. Buttenwieser has spent her entire professional and civic career fostering recreational use of waterfronts. She is best known as the visionary of the Floating Pool Lady and as the founder of the Neptune Foundation. After discovering the existence of 15 floating pools in New York in the 19th century, she spent the next 25 years turning her vision into a reality. In 2006, The Neptune Foundation unveiled the Floating Pool Lady, a self-sustaining barge that holds a pool and a raised terrace/dressing area. With the success of the Floating Pool Lady, initially in Brooklyn and now in the South Bronx, Ms. Buttenwieser accomplished her goal of providing an adequate recreational space for all city residents while simultaneously maximizing the use of the city's waterfront. In addition to her work with the Neptune Foundation, Ms. Buttenwieser has held positions in many of the city's agencies with waterfront portfolios, including the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Economic Development Corporation. She sits on the boards of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, New Yorkers 4 Parks, the Skyscraper Museum, and is a former board member of the National Parks Foundation. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of Architecture.