^ Funny enough the East Village's Riverwalk is nominated alongside the High Line as the best new open space in North America.
Riverwalk is a gem - beautiful design and flattering to be mentioned in the same sentence as the High Line, which is an amizing place.
http://www.uli.org/urban-open-space-...n-space-award/
I too liked the SPF design the best of the bunch for the NMC, but I think the Allied design will also be a great addition. Had the pleasure of meeting the architect when I was down in Portland a couple of months ago.
As for the Peace Bridge, I think it's absolutely fantastic. It's an amazing structure.