Public Space

We no longer need Broadway as a street. We should transform it into a linear park—a Green Line running through midtown Manhattan.

The Broadway Malls could become a significant green corridor, integrating cutting-edge technology to provide a safe route for pedestrians, cyclists, and local wildlife.

The Brooklyn Strand should be a new gateway to the borough, connecting the waterfront with a series of parks, plazas, and greenways that will animate the thriving heart of Downtown Brooklyn!

We call for a (re) conceptualization of Complete Streets that humanizes “users” by acknowledging their difference and diversity.

42nd street is a microcosm of New York. Imagine it as a grand passage, with light rail gliding through the heart of the city!

We are just a few miles away from becoming the most bike-friendly region in the country. Let’s get there by completing a continuous route around New York Harbor!

Instead of asking what kind of future transportation technology will bring us, we should ask: what kind of city do we want?

We call for a (re) conceptualization of Complete Streets that humanizes “users” by acknowledging their difference and diversity.

New York City is one of the most pedestrian-dense cities in the world, yet approximately 80% of our public space—our streets—is designed for automobiles. We must reform our curbside parking policies to create a more livable city.

We don’t need every street to be ‘complete.’ We need a street network that works for everyone.

Freight is a planning afterthought, leaving our streets clogged with heavy vehicles. Why not consolidate deliveries at a neighborhood level to free up some space?

The growing volume of freight traffic in New York City has ramifications for residents’ health and the environment. It is time to adopt electric fleets.

In the fall of 2016, the Urban Design Forum invited its Fellows and experts to help us craft a vision for the future of mobility in New York City. Within these pages, you’ll find an inventory of imaginative thinking on what our city’s transportation landscape could be.

With the introduction of automated vehicles on the horizon, we have the chance to reclaim our roadways—unlocking space for green corridors, neighborhood connections, and new development.

By capping two blocks of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway trench in Williamsburg, we can provide verdant open space for the neighborhood and build the better future the community envisions.