Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Plazas

It’s Opening Day for the Newest Stretch of Broadway’s Green Ribbon

By Noah Kazis | Sep 22, 2010 | 21 Comments

One of Manhattan’s premier public spaces is now safer, roomier, and livelier. DOT officially opened its improvements to the Union Square area today, including new pedestrian plazas and a continuation of the Broadway bike lane into a contraflow lane on the north side of the square. Several pieces of the re-design were already in heavy […]

Eyes on the Street: Union Square’s Public Space Makeover Underway

By Ben Fried | Sep 1, 2010 | 17 Comments

Reader Holly Hudson sends this picture of the north side of Union Square earlier today. Orange construction barrels are lined up here and around the corner on Broadway, as crews get ready to add new pedestrian spaces and extend Broadway’s protected bike lane, which will run against the flow of traffic on this particular block. […]

DOT Unveils New “Pop Up Café” in Financial District

By Noah Kazis | Aug 12, 2010 | 23 Comments

Nicole LaRusso of the Downtown Alliance, David Byrne, and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan enjoy coffee and mango lassis at Pearl Street’s new pop-up café. Photo: Noah Kazis The narrow streets of Lower Manhattan date back centuries and pose a set of challenges nearly unique in New York City. With the city’s first "pop-up café," DOT […]

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Copenhagen’s Car-Free Streets and Slow-Speed Zones

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. | Aug 4, 2010 | No Comments

In Copenhagen, you never have to travel very far to see a beautiful public space or car-free street packed with people soaking up the day. In fact, since the early 1960s, 18 parking lots in the downtown area have been converted into public spaces for playing, meeting, and generally just doing things that human beings […]

Fordham Plaza Overhaul Promises Big Improvements for Pedestrians

By Noah Kazis | Aug 3, 2010 | 24 Comments

Plans for a re-designed Fordham Plaza would add 15,750 square feet of public space. Image: NYCEDC/DOT Fordham Plaza, one of the city’s busiest transit and retail hubs, but also one of its most dangerous, is slated for a major redesign [PDF] by NYCDOT and the Economic Development Corporation. Highlights of the badly-needed overhaul include a […]

Manhattan CB 5 Listens to Reason, Endorses Union Square Plan

By Noah Kazis | Jul 9, 2010 | 26 Comments

Pedestrian plazas and bike lanes should calm traffic and tame the dangerous northwest corner of Union Square. Image: NYCDOT After some vocal complaints spurred compromises to NYCDOT’s ambitious original proposal to redesign the streets near Union Square, Manhattan Community Board 5 held strong last night, voting 24-1-1 to move forward with the fundamental safety features […]

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