Amazing development for NYC

You have to take a look at this. Who would've thought that the DOT would make this a possibility in NYC? How many times have we lamented the lack of pedestrian space in the most congested and most visited parts of the city? More space for pedestrians in NYC - it was just a twinkle in the eye as recently as two years ago. Incredible - congratulations to the DOT.

Well it's about time

It hasn't been quiet on this front, rather, extraordinarily busy. I joined Transportation Alternatives as its planning director at the end of April and have been flat out doing all sorts of public space-oriented stuff (cos streets are NYC's largest public spaces, no?).

Anyhoo, the impetus for writing now is that we launched a design competition to re-design the intersection of 4th Avenue and 9th Street in Brooklyn. We're looking for fresh new approaches to re-imagining our streets are healthy, sustainable, safe, and livable places. Come on, how many times have you complained about our streets as yet another vehicle refused to yield to you in the crosswalk? This is your chance to wave the pencil and come up with something better.

Update on Silver Spring

I posted a few years ago about an innovative re-use of a parking lot in Silver Spring. Field turf was laid down and a public space was born. Some of the reasons for its success is its location in a central site, surrounded by amenities.


In May 2008!

A friend just sent over a picture of the plaza's continued use. Here's what she said:

Everyone there seemed so happy and relaxed; it's almost a rare scene in a town (DC area) where people are so work-centered and don't seem to slow down so much. (I'm sure it's worse in NYC.) I'm sure the fact that it was one of the first warm spring days didn't hurt. There were kids playing ball, families having picnics, couples having romantic moments, people just sitting around reading, and there was even a "Save Darfur" parade/rally that showed up while I was there.

They've really turned the area into something really special with stores, restaurants, fountains and tons places to sit and relax. People were just sitting around shooting the breeze. Kids were playing in pretty safe areas away from traffic. They even closed the road at the bottom of the turf and it was taken over by skateboarders (who are usually kicked out of public places like these). Even when a brief shower came through, no one ran screaming for their cars, really. They just seemed to go underneath covered spots to cheerfully wait it out. I don't know how to explain it, but it just seemed so different than what I remember as the "norm" around here.

Whoo-hoo, Silver Spring! Just one little suggestion just based on this photograph: it would be great if the retailed with the wall adjacent to this space made their space more transparent and provided some amenities for the people in this space. It looks like there's a cafe terrace overlooking the space...why not bring the cafe down to the plaza?

BTW, the DOT is launching a Public Plaza Initiative for New York City, so we have our own opportunity to take under-utilized space and convert it into something amazing. There are so many neighborhoods I can think of where the streets and parking need to go on a major diet. The DOT will be seeking applications for this project starting in June, I believe. Here are some tips on what the DOT will be interested in seeing from the application, based on the experience with the demonstration project in DUMBO. Get organized!

Thanks Patee!

Supermarkets in NYC

via flickr

The convenience of having access to fresh food on a regular basis in New York City has officially become a privilege. A new Department of City Planning study has found that underserved communities are the most likely to have supermarkets close. The New York Times covers the study as well. I don't have an understanding of the economic formula that is behind this phenomenon, other than the simple assumption that rents are outpacing margins from food prices.

About a month ago, at the Design Trust for Public Space's Paul Goldberger and Danny Meyers conversation (I believe soon you will be able to download the MP3 from the Design Trust site), there was the idea floated of providing inclusionary rents for small businesses in business districts or main street type areas as a way to maintain community character. Maybe there should be something for supermarkets as well, even if they are not in business districts. There are many micro-communities throughout New York that would not qualify as having a main street. These supermarkets do not have to be "super" either - as long as they did provide produce, not just packaged foods which are now available drug stores and gas stations, and they should be accessible without a car for the most vulnerable populations.

Chalking the High Line

I rushed to the Meatpacking District hoping to catch some of this Julia Mandle/High Line performance. The weather was gorgeous, and the kids looked like they were having fun (if starting to wane...I have the feeling walking in those shoes may be harder than it looks). Here's a set of images.

Chalking the High Line

The High Line is set to open sometime this spring. In anticipation, Julia Mandle Performance is chalking the High Line with NYC Lab School. A performance will be held on April 16 on the streets of the Meatpacking District from 12:30 to 1:30. Julia Mandle does amazing work with public spaces. I had the pleasure of helping participating in the Variable City: Fox Square project years ago.

How about emission pricing then?

I'm almost speechless about all that went down about congestion pricing. What I can manage to say is that I found this fascinating LA Times article about London converting its congestion pricing scheme to a carbon emissions pricing scheme. Vehicles with the highest emissions will be levied a high charge than hybrid vehicles, which have the lowest emissions (though I believe there is still a nominal charge for entering the congestion zone.) From the article:

Record producer Jonathan Shalit doesn't need his Mercedes 500 SL for the drive from his house in Kensington across town to his office in Soho. But he likes it, and he can afford it.

"Someone like me who has a big, fat, gas-guzzling Mercedes 500 probably deserves to be taxed to the hilt. I like big cars, and I'm wealthy enough," said Shalit, who is probably best known for discovering singer Charlotte Church.

On the other hand, Shalit already has picked up on London's ubiquitous green zeitgeist, and even before the new CO2 charge debuts, he's started riding his bicycle to work three days a week. Last month -- even he couldn't believe it -- he test drove a new Lexus hybrid.

"I'd have to say overall, I'm not convinced [the charge] is bad. If I'm really honest. Because we have to do something drastic in London," Shalit said. "I do know that London's too crowded. I do know there are fumes about. It's a fundamental challenge citizens have, how do we go forward and deal with the challenge in big cities?

"And when all the rhetoric's over, no one's got a better idea."

I just came back from ULI sustainable development conference, and I have to say after two full days of listening to bottom-line-driven developers tackling the issue of sustainability (what a different 12 months makes! this is so different than last year's conference), I think there could be something to this carbon emissions scheme. Local governments are racing to regulate and place limits on carbon emissions. Even if our federal government won't ratify the Kyoto Protocol, our cities and states will push on it.

Speaking of local politics, it will also be interesting to see if Ken Livingstone gets re-elected this May.