The document summarizes a report by the New York City Department of Transportation on improving New York City's public spaces and streets. It discusses trends in other world-class cities that have improved public spaces to encourage walking, biking, and use of public transportation. It also summarizes a public life survey conducted by Gehl Architects that examined how New Yorkers use public spaces. The goal is to make New York's streets among the most attractive in the world for walking, biking, and spending time outdoors.

1. WORLD CLASS STREETS: REMAKING NEW YORK CITY’S PUBLIC REALM
World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
World Class
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Streets:
Remaking New York
City’s Public Realm
www.nyc.gov/dot
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2. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
CONTENTS
2 Letter from the Mayor
3 Letter from Commissioner
6 World Class Streets:
Remaking New York City's Public Realm
14 How Do People Use New York Streets?
36 New York City's World Class Streets Program
53 Acknowledgments
54 Additional Resources and Contacts
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3. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
LETTER FROM ThE MAYOR LETTER FROM ThE COMMISSIONER
Dear Friends: Dear fellow New Yorkers:
In 2007, our Administration launched PlaNYC, our long Finally, it’s no accident that New York City’s merchant Famous images of New York nearly all emphasize the In this report, findings from a Public Space/Public Life
term plan to create a greener, greater New York. One of communities focus heavily on streetscape quality city’s skyline—the high rise metropolis seen from a mile Survey conducted by the world-renowned Gehl
the challenges PlaNYC poses to city agencies is to through their local Business Improvement Districts, distant or 5,000 feet up. Few who attempt to capture Architects/Urban Quality Consultants in Fall, 2007
“re-imagine the City’s public realm”— to develop an urban which we have worked hard to expand and support. For the city’s uniqueness or character in a single frame seek provide the starting point. Following Gehl’s analysis, we
environment that transforms our streets and squares storefront businesses, welcoming, attractive streets can it from the most basic human point of view—that of the lay out the wide range of ambitious programs that
into more people-friendly places. spell the difference between growth and just getting by. pedestrian walking down the street. NYCDOT has set in motion to change the city’s approach
With 6,000 miles of City streets under its manage- Today, our Administration is dramatically extending the Why is this? In a look at Paris, for instance, the and that will allow us to build on New York City’s
ment, the Department of Transportation is on the front streetscape improvements that many organizations have streetscapes of the Champs-Elysees and its central tremendous and ever-present potential.
line of this effort— and it is succeeding in spectacular been able to create locally. pedestrian precincts will surely be featured. A view of
fashion. New York has the most famous streets in the world. Barcelona will inevitably include a street-level Sincerely,
Through new initiatives such as Broadway Boulevard, Now, we’re working to make them the most attractive perspective on Las Ramblas and of its new and re-made
the Public Plaza Program, Coordinated Street Furniture, streets in the world for walking and cycling —and that public squares.
and Summer Streets, we are finding creative new ways other great New York sport, people-watching. Until now, the City has not embraced a broad strategy
to make our streets more attractive to pedestrians and for developing and caring for the public realm—the space
cyclists—and those who wish to sit and relax and soak in Sincerely, between buildings—as an important element of public
the City. This report outlines the challenges we face and policy. Indeed, despite so much change for the better Janette Sadik-Khan
describes the many programs underway that are de- during the city’s renaissance of the past several decades, Commissioner
signed to bring even more life to our World Class Streets. our streetscape remains broadly utilitarian, with little
The business and environmental cases for improving change in appearance or feel from the 1970s.
the quality of our public realm are clear. Streets that help World Class Streets amplifies the look at street design
create and strengthen communities and businesses, in Michael R. Bloomberg in NYCDOT’s Sustainable Streets strategic plan, and will
addition to connecting neighborhoods to one another, are Mayor serve as a companion volume to the new New York City
an essential component of the City’s overall sustainabil- Street Design Manual we will issue in early 2009.
ity strategy. Quality of life policies will enable the City to
continue to grow its economy and retain more residents
as they raise families and grow older, and it will even lead
New Yorkers to spend more of the leisure time in the city.
By attracting and retaining more residents, we will also
help fight climate change. Mass transit- and pedestrian-
oriented cities like New York help reduce suburban
sprawl and the higher levels of carbon emissions that
come with it.
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4. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
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5. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Public Realm/
World Class Street Strategies
World Class Streets: — Plaza Program — New streetscape
Remaking New York City’s
materials
— World class boulevards
— Coordinated street
— Complete streets
furniture program
Public Realm
projects and design
standards — Weekend pedestrian
and cycling streets
— Public art program
This report is part of an ambitious and far reaching effort to place New
Long Range New Transportation
York at the forefront of urban development. It builds on two previous
Sustainability Plan Policy & Priorities
plans: PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s comprehensive sustainability plan,
and Sustainable Streets, NYCDOT’s strategic plan. While the previous
reports were comprehensive in scope, this document focuses solely on the
NYCDOT public realm strategies listed at right.
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6. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Reimagining
the city
Cities are becoming greener
and people-oriented
Many cities today are using their public
spaces in ways they haven’t in decades.
During the twentieth century, many
cities redesigned their central areas to
better accommodate vehicular traffic
and commuters who had moved to the
suburbs. Today, however, many cities Place des Terreaux, Lyon. Ice skating at Sommerset House, London. Place del Paisos Catalans, Barcelona.
Strøget, pedestrian priority street, Copenhagen. Federation Square, Melbourne.
have rediscovered the advantages of
their dense historic forms. In many, public
life is being carefully supported through COPENHAGEN, DENMARK MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA LYON, FRANCE LONDON, ENGLAND BARCELONA, SPAIN
pedestrian, bicycling and public space
improvements. People in all parts of the A better city, step by step Unified policy for vital, high- Coordinated public space policy Reducing traffic and generating Visionary thinking and
world have responded enthusiastically to Copenhagen’s old main street was quality public streets The city of Lyon formulated a comprehensive revenue for the 100 public pioneering public space policy
these new opportunities to celebrate the pedestrianized in 1962, marking the start
public realm.
In its street pattern and building mix, policy in 1989 to create more space for spaces program For the past two decades, Barcelona has
of an extensive city renovation. Over the Melbourne is similar to other large cities. people. City planners created a large number
When London introduced congestion pricing been the leading source of inspiration for
next four decades, many of the streets and However, over the last few decades, while of parking spaces under newly renovated
in 2003, it was one of the first steps towards architects, landscape architects, urban
squares in the inner city were gradually other cities redesigned their streets to city squares, thus making efficient use of
a more sustainable and people-friendly city. planners, and politicians who work with
transformed into wholly or partially car-free accommodate the automobile and developed space and hiding a visually unappealing
Traffic in the city center was reduced by public spaces. Nowhere in the world can so
spaces. This created excellent conditions indoor shopping malls, Melbourne invited land use. In addition, the city has created a
15–20%, and revenue was generated for many examples of parks and squares be seen
for walking and urban recreation in the city people to celebrate streets as the city’s design palette to be used in new projects.
mass transit and public realm improvements. in one place.
center. In addition, the gradual reduction most important public spaces. The city The renovation of the city’s main streets and
At this time, London also created a plan Barcelona has been very imaginative in
of parking has substantially reduced car renovated its pavements and street furniture squares was extended to the suburbs, where
to become the world’s leading pedestrian implementing its public space policy. In the
traffic in the city center. At the same time, a and developed a policy for active building several hundred urban improvement projects
city. A key component is the goal to improve last decade, several hundred new parks,
targeted policy to create better conditions facades to make walking an enjoyable have taken place.
100 public spaces. Other initiatives squares, and promenades have been created
for bicycling has sustained a high level of experience.
included planting one million new trees, by tearing down dilapidated apartment
personal mobility. These renovations had tangible results:
the development of a new streetscape buildings, warehouses and factories, and by
from 1995 to 2005, Melbourne experienced renovating existing squares and regulating
design manual, and several smaller scale
a 40% increase in pedestrian traffic. The traffic to benefit pedestrians.
interventions to improve the quality of the
economic vitality of the city has improved
pedestrian experience.
proportionally—as evidenced by the increase
in jobs, tax revenues, and property values.
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7. 1 2
World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
New York’s
huge potential
New York streets are spacious enough
to accommodate many users—cars,
pedestrians, cyclists, delivery vehicles,
buses and more. Traditionally, however, the
streets have been designed primarily for
motor vehicle traffic. This policy attracted
an increasing number of vehicles, with
negative effects on congestion and the
overall quality of the public realm.
But New York is a vibrant walking city
with hundreds of major attractions. New
Yorkers will take naturally to additional COMPACT LIVELY AND DIVERSE
public spaces and well-designed, people-
oriented streets. — High density — A vibrant city
— Fine grained public transport — Cultural melting pot of the world
network
— A multitude of street parades,
Trends in Public 3 4
— High volumes of pedestrians markets, fairs, etc
— Efficient street grid — Millions of people on the street
Space Activities in — High level of creativity
the 21st century
1 Increased interest in sports and an active,
healthy life style
2 Increased interest in participation in cultural
events
3 Increased interest in amenities offered in the
city like the waterfront, nature and fresh air
4 Increased interest in year-round
outdoor activity
FIRST CLASS PARKS ATTRACTIVE WATERWAYS
— New Yorkers cherish their retreats — 600 miles of coastline
from a hectic life — High quality river promenades
— Central Park
— Washington Square Park
— Prospect Park and many more
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8. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
A Walking
(and Bicycling) City
New Yorkers spend a lot of time in the public realm as
a result of the city’s density, which promotes walking,
public transit riding and, increasingly, bicycling.
Improving walking conditions will benefit everyone in
New York City, create more pleasant links between 10 min 20 min
destinations and provide an environment that is
enjoyable as well as functional.
5 min 10 min
Most New Yorkers are
never more than a 20
minute walk away from a
subway or train station.
10 min 20 min
3 miles/h
10 min 20 min Pedestrian traffic
New York has some of the highest volumes of
400 m 800 m 1200 m 1600 m
0,25 mile 0,5 mile 0,75 mile 1,0 mile
pedestrians in the world., and New Yorkers flock to
inviting public spaces, such as the hudson River
Greenway, the car-free parks on weekends and the
new public spaces that NYCDOT created along
5 min 10 min Broadway in Midtown Manhattan during 2008.
10 min 20 min
10 and 20 min walking catchment area to subway and train stations.
3 miles/h
ca 9 miles/h
10 min 20 min
10 min
0m 400 m 800 m 1200 m 1600 m
0 mile 0.25 mile 0.5 mile 0.75 mile 1.0 mile
0m 400 m 800 m 1200 m 1600 m 2000 m 2400 m
0 mile 0.25 mile 0.5 mile 0.75 mile 1.0 mile 1.25 mile 1.5 mile
Calculated Manhattan walking distances shown in minutes. Calculated Manhattan cycling distances shown in minutes.
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9. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
How Do People Use New York Streets?
Public Life Survey
In 2007, New York City DOT contracted with Gehl Architects to conduct
public life surveys of selected sites around the city. Gehl Architects/Urban
Quality Consultants is an internationally renowned urban planning and
design firm, and is credited with helping to turn Copenhagen into one of
the most walkable and bikeable cities in the world.
Gehl Architects has developed a unique field survey technique that
quantifies how people use places in cities. For example, the company
uses pedestrian count and stationary activity surveys to examine detailed
information on where people walk and what they do when stationary, either
as part of daily activities or for recreational purposes.
Gehl’s data collectors also assess the quality and condition of outdoor
seating, the quality of paving materials, construction-related impacts and
other qualitative factors that affect the public realm.
Results from the public life survey helped formulate much of the city’s
strategy for improving streets as public spaces, and can serve as a
baseline against which future surveys can be compared.
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10. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Method for measuring Survey Areas
pedestrian traffic Selection of public life and
public space survey areas
This part of the study provides information on how
much—and where—people walk, sit, stand or carry out
The vast size and diversity of New York
various stationary activities in the city. These are a
City’s five boroughs and numerous
good indicator of the quality of an urban space.
neighborhoods make it impractical to
A high number of pedestrians walking in a city
survey the entire city in detail. Instead
does not necessarily indicate a high-quality walking
DOT suggested survey areas that are
experience. however, if a large number of people
centers of activity along key multi-
choose to engage in voluntary activities (having an
modal corridors. By studying these very
outdoor lunch, playing, or sunbathing) then a city most
different but vibrant centers of city
likely has an excellent public realm.
life, this survey provides snap shots of
NYCDOT and Transportation Alternatives recruited
the potentials and challenges found Broadway, Manhattan. East Fordham Road, Bronx.
over 40 volunteers to assist the Gehl staff with data
in the public realm of New York City
collection in Fall 2007. NYCDOT and Gehl Architects
today. The study team gained an overall
conducted thorough volunteer orientation sessions
understanding of pedestrian activities
to ensure data was collected in accordance with the
along key corridors in Brooklyn, the Bronx,
methodology employed by Gehl Architects in cities
Manhattan and Queens. These insights
around the world.
form part of the basis for NYCDOT's
Gehl and NYCDOT are presently coordinating the
public realm programs.
training and transfer of the Public Space/Public Life
survey methology to NYC agencies.
Data Collection
Locations/Conditions
Gehl chose specific locations near key
Gehl has used its method in intersections and major destinations.
studies in London, Sydney, They were chosen to investigate special
conditions in each neighborhood as well
Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, as typical conditions that can be applied
to much of each borough. Data was
Wellington, Rotterdam, Dublin, collected from 8am–8pm during a series
Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn. 34th Street, Manhattan.
Riga, Stockholm, Oslo and of weekdays in October under good
weather conditions.
Copenhagen.
Surveyors counted pedestrians
on streets for 10 minutes every
hour between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Soho, Spring Street, Manhattan. Main Street, Flushing.
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11. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Comparison of weekday pedestrian traffic between 8 am–8 pm
New York City is a world-class walking city. Pedestrian volumes on major streets in
New York exceed those found in cities like London, Sydney, and Copenhagen. Moreover,
high pedestrian volumes are found throughout the city, not just in Manhattan.
One of the most striking findings of this survey is that some main streets in Queens and
the Bronx have greater numbers of pedestrians than the centers of major European cities.
For example, pedestrian volumes on Flushing’s Main Street are about 70% higher than
those found on Regent Street in Central London.
Pedestrian volumes
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC COMPARISON on Flushing’s Main TIMES SqUARE, 2007 EAST FORDHAM ROAD, BRONx, 2007 FLUSHING MAIN ST, qUEENS, 2007
Street are about
INTERNATIONAL
118,000 80,570 97,290
Sydney, George St 54,600 2007 70% higher than Total length surveyed: 3.4 miles Total length surveyed: 1.1 miles Total length surveyed: 0.8 miles
Melbourne, Swanston St (south) 51,580 2004 those found on Street width: 69–102 feet Street width: 99 feet Street width: 100 feet
Stockholm, Drottninggatan 55,830 2005 Regent Street in Footpath width: 14–20 feet Footpath width: 19 feet Footpath width: 15–16.5 feet
Copenhagen, Strøget 58,500 2005 Central London. Status: Shopping and entertainment Status: Shopping street and main public Status: Shopping street and main public
street and a north-south vehicular link transportation and vehicular link transportation and vehicular link
London, Regent St 57,320 2002
London, Oxford St 129,840 2002
NEW YORK
Times Square
118,000 2007
(Broadway & 7th Ave at 44th St)
8th Ave btw 33rd & 34th St 100,740 2007
34th St near 6th Ave 94,730 2007
5th Ave btw 21st and 22nd 31,850 2007
14th St btw 5th Ave & University Place 51,580 2007
Broadway btw Prince and Spring 48,940 2007
Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn 12,520 2007
East Fordham Road, Bronx 80,570 2007
Flushing Main St, Queens 97,290 2007
0 25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000 125,000 150,000
SYDNEY, GEORGE STREET, 2007 LONDON, OxFORD STREET, 2007 COPENHAGEN, STRøGET, 2005
Major streets in other cities New York 54,600 129,830 58,500
Weekday pedestrian traffic between 8 am–8 pm Weekday pedestrian traffic between 8 am–8 pm Total length: 1.6 miles Total length: 0.30 miles Total length: 0.75 miles
Street width: 72–98 feet Street width: 56–92 feet Street width: 33–39 feet
Footpath width: 16–20 feet Footpath width: 10–39 feet Footpath width: 33–39 feet
Status: Main shopping street with Status: Shopping street with large Status: Main street dominated by
heavy traffic numbers of pedestrians and vehicles shopping, cafes and restaurants
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12. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Congested Sidewalks The sidewalks on
Gehl Architects’ studies from around the world Flushing Main St. SignS of crowded SidewalkS
suggest that the maximum volume for comfortable are overcrowded
pedestrian movement is 12 people per minute
per yard of sidewalk width. Anything above this 83% of the day
level is considered to be overcrowding. (Other
methodologies assess crowding according to the
number of people that a street can carry—however
such methodologies deal only with capacity and not
quality). When Copenhagen’s main street, Strøget, Problems with
reaches the level of 12 persons per minute per yard
overcrowded sidewalks
people start finding alternative routes. This has
been the case for the last 30 years.
Despite the fact that sidewalk widths are Crowding is generally:
generous in some parts of the city, key sections
BAD FOR COMMERCE
of street simply do not accommodate the volume
since people have difficulty stopping/
of pedestrian traffic. In New York, people walking
looking at window displays.
compete for space with those waiting at bus stops,
and with the many physical items on sidewalks.
BAD FOR SAFETY
Flushing Main Street.
since fast walking pedestrians will move out onto
the road or people will accidentally be pushed into
the road.
BAD FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Overcrowded crosswalk.
since those in wheelchairs, parents with strollers,
people with disabilities, children and the elderly
Crowding is a sign of low generally need more space for walking than that
available on a crowded footpath. These groups can
walking quality. When be deterred from walking under such conditions.
crowding occurs, walking BAD FOR ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WALK
turns into a fight to get since people will avoid walking if it is unpleasant to
do so.
from one point to another.
The sidewalks on
East Fordham Road
are overcrowded
54% of the day
East Fordham Road. People do not have space to wait at crossings.
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13. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
VOLUMES ON FLUSHING MAIN STREET
In cases such as Flushing Main St,
the number of pedestrians is nearly
twice that of vehicle passengers, yet
pedestrians are provided less than
one third the space.
SPACE ON FLUSHING MAIN STREET FLUSHING MAIN STREET, QUEENS bETWEEN ROOSEvELT AND 41ST AvE Pedestrians are pushed into the road when waiting for a green light.
East sidewalk West sidewalk
In some locations, only 50% of the sidewalk on Broadway is possible to use for walking.
Sidewalk 16’
0
Obstacles on Sidewalks
Sidewalk 16’ 11’ 11’ 11’ 11’ 11’ 11’ 200cm 400cm 600cm
effective effective The effective width for walking is
width 13’ width 13’
sometimes 50% of the sidewalk
Pedestrians
The numerous obstacles found on New York City
46,140 56,000 51,150 sidewalks further contribute to crowding and hurt the
Vehicular passengers quality of the pedestrian experience. Vendors and street
pedestrians / motorists and bus pedestrians /
8 am–8 pm passengers a day utilize 8 am–8 pm furniture play a key role in the public life of the City, but
effective width 13’ the roadway, effective effective width 13’ often unregulated vendors and poorly placed or planned On very crowded sidewalks, street vendors may cause further problems.
width 65 feet furniture restrict pedestrian access. Often the most
crowded areas (such as sidewalks near subway stops and
street corners) are the places where the most obstacles
exist. At some street corners, multiple trash cans or
newsboxes force people into traffic. Cluttered sidewalks
SIDEWALK 16’ 11’ 11’ 11’ 11’ 11’ SIDEWALK 16’ not only impede access but also negatively affect the
13’ visual environment.
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14. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Crowding on Broadway when students are waiting for the bus.
No protection against unpleasant weather makes the time waiting
uncomfortable.
Sidewalk Crowding
Affects Public Transit Streets without seats
It is sometimes hard to get Nowhere to rest
to the subway or bus
There are very few places for people to
New York City has one of the world’s best public sit and rest, meet and interact or people-
transit systems. Unfortunately, the well-used system watch along the streets of New York City.
is not accessible to all city residents and visitors. At A vastly disproportionate amount of space
some locations, sidewalks are not broad enough to is allocated to parking cars than to public
accomodate the flow in and out of busy subway stops. Limited space for access to and from public transportation.. seating spaces. While New York City The few public seating opportunities in the streets are of poor quality and exposed to traffic.
At others, those waiting for the bus must wait in the provides some of the best urban scenery
sun or rain because of a lack of shelters. In addition, at in the world, there are simply very few
some outer locations, busy bus stops lack sidewalks, places to stop, enjoy and soak in the unique
thus making access difficult, if not impossible, for the atmosphere.
disabled, elderly, and those pushing strollers.
Few resting opportunities while waiting for public transportation excludes some user groups. People find alternative seating where nothing else is provided.
24 25

15. C
Central Park
World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Columbus
Circle
57th Stree
t
ue
8 Th Aven
More scaffolding
than seating
7th Avenue
Paramount
Plaza
Scaffolding is left up for too long, while
street cafes are few and far between
Times
Square
6th Avenue
New York is falling behind other cities in the provision
Grand
Central of outdoor seating opportunities. Research from around
Station
Bryant Park the world indicates that there is incredible demand
for café seating. For example, in London, Copenhagen,
42nd Stree
t and Melbourne, restaurants have found that increased
Golda
Mayer outdoor seating options leads to increased business. The
Place
positive effects of providing café seating go beyond the
benefits to individual restaurant owners, as café seating
Herald
contributes to an improved public realm, and increased
Square
economic vitality for a city. It is a cause for concern that
34th Stree the three- mile stretch of Broadway from Columbus Circle
Penn t
Station Greeley
Square
to houston Street, one of the City’s leading thoroughfares,
has only 6 outdoor cafes.
While the city suffers from a shortage of outdoor
seating, it is a global leader in scaffolding. The amount
5th Avenue
NUMBER OF CAFE SEATS PER 1000 YD
of building and renovation underway makes scaffolding
a necessity to protect pedestrians. An unintended Copenhagen, Strøget 444
consequence of recent legislation designed to protect
people from building façades with potential problems has Melbourne, Swanston St
Worth Madison
353
Square Square
Park been the vast proliferation of long-duration scaffolding
that narrows, darkens and uglifies potentially vibrant London, Regent St
23rd Stree 137
t
sidewalks.Although scaffolding is a necessity to protect
pedestrians from construction activities, in some cases New York, Broadway 15
it is put up far in advance of actual work, or left standing
ue
long after it is necessary. For example, scaffolding covers 0 100 200 300 400 500
Park Aven
30% of the buildings along the three miles of Broadway
from Columbus Circle to houston Street.
Union
Square
14th Stree
Café outdoor seating on the street curb side
t
Café outdoor seating in public space 30% of Broadway buildings There are only 6 curb side
Public seating in the street
between Columbus Circle outdoor cafés on Broadway
Public seating in public space
Washington Astor Place
and Houston St are covered between Columbus Circle
Square
with scaffolding. and Soho.
Houston Street
Prince and
Spring Street
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16. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Few Opportunities to Stop
EXAMPLES OF ACTIvITIES Allocation of space for things
PRINCE ST BETWEEN WEST BROADWAY AND LAFAYETTE
at rest on Prince Street:
73% for cars
3% for people
PRINCE AND
24% for bicycles
SPRING STREET Prince
St
ay
roadw
West B
er St
e St
Woost
Green
r St
Sitting on café chairs. Sitting on secondary seating.
Merce
way
Broad
y St
Crosb
Parking Spaces Parked Bicycles Public Seating
Parking Spaces 64
Commercial activities. Standing.
Parked Bicycles 21
With the exception of Flushing Main Street,the areas surveyed in The type of stationary activities found in New York’s streets are
New York have a significantly lower ratio of stationary activities very different than those found in other world cities. A majority of
per 100 yards of street compared to other capital cities. Sitting the stationary activities recorded on Flushing’s Main Street are Public Seating Spaces 1
activities are especially few in New York. commercial activities associated with street vendors. The majority
0 20 40 60 80
of the stationary activities recorded along Swanston Street in
Melbourne, by contrast, are associated with people window shopping
or relaxing in public benches, café chairs and/or secondary seating.
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17. World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
Few children and % OF PEDESTRIANS % OF PEDESTRIANS
elderly in the street UNDER 14 OvER 65
Who uses New York streets? 4% 2%
Overcrowded or otherwise unattractive sidewalks
and walking environments are not only less pleasant
broadway
places to be, they in fact discourage some groups
from walking or being on a public street altogether.
Only 10% of pedestrians identified at
our survey sites were children or seniors 6% 0%
(under 14 or over 65 years old), although
these groups account for a combined
Flatbush Ave
30% of New York’s population
The elderly and young are
SURvEY AREA
rarely seen in the street
environment in places
12% 2%
where streets are traffic
East Fordham Road
dominated and are not
perceived as safe.
5% 10%
Flushing Main St
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18. W 48 St
World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm
W 48 St
7th Ave
W 47 St
Times Square
W 47 St
consists of
89% road space
Broadway
11% people space
W 46 St Times Square
Total area: 183,000 sq ft
Little Braz
il Street
Pedestrian area: 20,200 sq ft
Few people ever visit the plaza around the arch in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza.
Many Public Spaces
are Hard to Get to
W 45 St
Many public spaces do not interact
with streets and surrounding buildings W 45 St
New Yorkers rarely experience the joy of coming across a
break in the streetscape- an inviting public space along their
journey from Point A to Point B. Instead, they are forced
to make a deliberate decision to reach an island of public
Broadway
7th Ave
space- and to get to that island, they often need to negotiate
complicated and busy crossings. W 44 St
Once there, they find none of the opportunities to interact herald Square is a hidden oasis in the middle of traffic.
with the indoor environment that a building edge provides. W 44 St
Indoor activities are not allowed to spill into the public realm
(and vice versa) because so few public spaces are actually
Times Square at night. People are crowded on a narrow traffic
bordered by a building. Instead, the only influence at the
island in a traffic dominated space. Recent NYCDOT projects to
border of a public space is often a street full of traffic.
create more space for people in Madison Square and on Broadway
herald and Greeley Squares are a classic example of this
north of 34th Street (see pages 39 and 40) may have future
phenomenon. In an effort to protect them from adjacent
application along Broadway north of 42nd Street.
traffic, planners have surrounded each square with trees,
W 43 St
hedges, and walls. As a result, the plazas are visually
and physically detached from the pedestrian flow on the W 43 St
sidewalks. The vitality of one space does nothing to feed the
other. The lack of visual connections and natural pedestrian
flow through the spaces makes them more unsafe at night,
and as a result these spaces, and many like them across the
City, are closed after dark.
Additionally, most of the actual space in herald Square is
active street space for motor vehicles. 82% of the'square'
is taken up by busy through streets. Similar conditions are
W 42 St
found in Times Square.
32 W 42 St 33