Reimagining Public Space Governance and Programming in Commercial Districts
Authors
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMONS FELLOWS
Nur Asri
Urban Policy Fellow
Isaac Gertman
Communications Fellow
Alexandra Gonzalez
Design Fellow
Valeria Mogilevich
Engagement Fellow
DESIGN TRUST STAFF
Catherine Betances
Equitable Public Space Fellow
Elana Ehrenberg
Senior Policy Manager
Jasmin Tepale
Equitable Public Space Fellow
The Design Trust for
Public Space would like to thank the following Advisory Committee members and
Community Collaborators that provided expert input throughout the process:
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Michael Blaise Backer
Deputy Commissioner,
NYC Department of Small Business Services
Christine Berthet
Co-founder & Vice President, CHEKPEDS
Victor Calise
Former Commissioner, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
Brian Chin
Member, Merchants of Third Ave
Leslie Davol
Co-founder, StreetLab
Eli Dvorkin
Editor and Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future
David Estrada
Executive Director, Sunset Park BID
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director, Street Vendor Project
Michael Blaise Backer
Deputy Commissioner,
NYC Department of Small Business Services
Christine Berthet
Co-founder & Vice President, CHEKPEDS
Victor Calise
Former Commissioner, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
Brian Chin
Member, Merchants of Third Ave
Leslie Davol
Co-founder, StreetLab
Eli Dvorkin
Editor and Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future
David Estrada
Executive Director, Sunset Park BID
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director, Street Vendor Project
Jessica Lappin
President, Alliance for Downtown New York
David McCarty
Vice President, Alloy
Kerry McLean
Vice President of Community Development, WHEDco
Melva Miller
CEO, Association for a Better New York
Marco Shalma
Founder, MASC Hospitality Group
Alexandria Sica
Executive Director, DUMBO BID
Tim Tompkins
Former Executive Director, Times Square Alliance
Jon Vazcones
Vice President of Community Reinvestment, M&T Bank
Emily Weidenhof
Public Space Director, NYC Department of Transportation
Andy Wiley-Schwartz
Consultant, Bloomberg and DT Board Member
President, Alliance for Downtown New York
David McCarty
Vice President, Alloy
Kerry McLean
Vice President of Community Development, WHEDco
Melva Miller
CEO, Association for a Better New York
Marco Shalma
Founder, MASC Hospitality Group
Alexandria Sica
Executive Director, DUMBO BID
Tim Tompkins
Former Executive Director, Times Square Alliance
Jon Vazcones
Vice President of Community Reinvestment, M&T Bank
Emily Weidenhof
Public Space Director, NYC Department of Transportation
Andy Wiley-Schwartz
Consultant, Bloomberg and DT Board Member
SPECIAL THANKS
NYC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES
Michael Blaise Backer
Deputy Commissioner
Zach Owens
Senior Policy Advisor, Neighborhood Development
This report was made possible by generous funding from:
NYC Department of Small Business Services Strategic Impact Grant
The National Endowment for the Arts
M&T Bank
Grand Central Partnership
Alloy Development
Downtown Alliance
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
DUMBO BID
Times Square Alliance
NYC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES
Michael Blaise Backer
Deputy Commissioner
Zach Owens
Senior Policy Advisor, Neighborhood Development
This report was made possible by generous funding from:
NYC Department of Small Business Services Strategic Impact Grant
The National Endowment for the Arts
M&T Bank
Grand Central Partnership
Alloy Development
Downtown Alliance
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
DUMBO BID
Times Square Alliance
Community Collaborators
We would like to thank the following community leaders for speaking with us about the work that they do every day. Their perspectives and experiences helped inform these recommendations and the development of the pilot project.
We would like to thank the following community leaders for speaking with us about the work that they do every day. Their perspectives and experiences helped inform these recommendations and the development of the pilot project.
BROWNSVILLE
Quardean Lewis-Allen Youth Design Center
Ionna Jimenez, Jamel Evans
Brownsville Community Justice Center
Camara Jackson
Elite Learners
RIDGEWOOD
Ted Renz
Myrtle Avenue BID
CHINATOWN
Wellington Chen
Chinatown BID
EAST FLATBUSH
Shelley Worell
Caribbeing
Elena Callahan
Parkside Committee
EAST HARLEM
Carey King
Uptown Grand Central
Patrick Griffin
Owner, Au Jus
Isabel Saffon, Demis Baquero, Ramon Caba, Marcus Johnson
Neighborhood Safety Initiatives
Quardean Lewis-Allen Youth Design Center
Ionna Jimenez, Jamel Evans
Brownsville Community Justice Center
Camara Jackson
Elite Learners
RIDGEWOOD
Ted Renz
Myrtle Avenue BID
CHINATOWN
Wellington Chen
Chinatown BID
EAST FLATBUSH
Shelley Worell
Caribbeing
Elena Callahan
Parkside Committee
EAST HARLEM
Carey King
Uptown Grand Central
Patrick Griffin
Owner, Au Jus
Isabel Saffon, Demis Baquero, Ramon Caba, Marcus Johnson
Neighborhood Safety Initiatives
FORDHAM
Marco Shalma
Bronx Night Market
Wilma Alonso
Fordham Road BID
Moises Reyes
Bronx Community Solutions
HUNTS POINT
Gail Heidel
Casita Maria
JAMAICA
Leonard Jacobs
JCAL
Monique Hector, Jeffrey Lambert
Queens Central Library
Jennifer Furioli, Jahnavi Aluri, Trey Jenkins
Jamaica Center BID
Hope Knight
(Formerly) Greater Jamaica Development Corp.
Greg Mays
A Better Jamaica
Kelsey Brow
King Manor Museum
Tyra Emerson
Cultural Collaborative Jamaica
Derek Irby
165 Mall
Marco Shalma
Bronx Night Market
Wilma Alonso
Fordham Road BID
Moises Reyes
Bronx Community Solutions
HUNTS POINT
Gail Heidel
Casita Maria
JAMAICA
Leonard Jacobs
JCAL
Monique Hector, Jeffrey Lambert
Queens Central Library
Jennifer Furioli, Jahnavi Aluri, Trey Jenkins
Jamaica Center BID
Hope Knight
(Formerly) Greater Jamaica Development Corp.
Greg Mays
A Better Jamaica
Kelsey Brow
King Manor Museum
Tyra Emerson
Cultural Collaborative Jamaica
Derek Irby
165 Mall
JACKSON HEIGHTS
Shekar Krishnan & Eirik Gislason
Friends of Diversity Plaza
Shrima Pandey
resident
LAURELTON
Aleeia Abraham
BlaQue Resource Network
ROCKAWAY
Alex Zablocki
Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy
Yarden Flatow
Cuisine by Claudette, former chair of the Rockaway Business Alliance
Daris Garnes
Ladies of Rockaway Business
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS / INWOOD
Jahaira Guerrero
Washington Heights Inwood Development Corporation
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Emily Weidenhof
Kyle Gorman
DESIGNERS / ARCHITECTS
Arianna Deane
A plus A plus A Studio
Matthew Winter, Joan MacKeith
Rockwell Group
Shekar Krishnan & Eirik Gislason
Friends of Diversity Plaza
Shrima Pandey
resident
LAURELTON
Aleeia Abraham
BlaQue Resource Network
ROCKAWAY
Alex Zablocki
Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy
Yarden Flatow
Cuisine by Claudette, former chair of the Rockaway Business Alliance
Daris Garnes
Ladies of Rockaway Business
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS / INWOOD
Jahaira Guerrero
Washington Heights Inwood Development Corporation
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Emily Weidenhof
Kyle Gorman
DESIGNERS / ARCHITECTS
Arianna Deane
A plus A plus A Studio
Matthew Winter, Joan MacKeith
Rockwell Group
︎︎︎ Executive Summary
︎︎︎ Introduction
︎︎︎ The Brief/Challenge
︎︎︎ Understanding the Regulatory Landscape
︎︎︎ Sidewalks
︎︎︎ Streets
︎︎︎ Plazas
︎︎︎ Navigating the Current Regulatory Process
︎︎︎ Adapting to the Pandemic
︎︎︎ Introduction
︎︎︎ The Brief/Challenge
︎︎︎ Understanding the Regulatory Landscape
︎︎︎ Sidewalks
︎︎︎ Streets
︎︎︎ Plazas
︎︎︎ Navigating the Current Regulatory Process
︎︎︎ Adapting to the Pandemic
︎︎︎ Enhancing the City’s Approach to Public Space Management
︎︎︎ Recommendations
︎︎︎ Appendix
︎︎︎ Credits
︎︎︎Watkins Public Space
︎︎︎What’s Up, Jamaica!
︎︎︎ Recommendations
︎︎︎ Appendix
︎︎︎ Credits
︎︎︎Watkins Public Space
︎︎︎What’s Up, Jamaica!