Times Square Alliance
The Pitch
Times Square Alliance partnered with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) to redesign Times Square into a series of pedestrian plazas, reducing congestion and improving safety.
The Problem
Car and pedestrian traffic were major issues in Times Square. In 2001, 86% of Times Square stakeholders said that congestion was one of their highest priority items to remedy. In 2003, 67% of employees said they would prefer to work somewhere else other than Times Square because of the congestion. By 2007, nearly 100% of survey respondents expressed that there were too many people on the sidewalks.
The Process
- Held a design meeting with the Design Trust for Public Space—involving artists, designers and architects—to reimagine Times Square and remedy congestion
- Collected data that informed the adoption of a pedestrian mobility plan
- Ran a design contest for people to submit Times Square redesign ideas
- Redesigned the bowtie-shaped intersection of Times Square to form a series of pedestrian plazas as part of NYC DOT’s Green Light for Midtown program
The Impact
- Turned five blocks, from 42nd to 47th street, into 110,000 square feet of public plazas
- Provides spaces for public art installations, cultural programming, design commissions, local food vendors and retail shops
- Alleviated pedestrian and motorized traffic
- Increased New York City’s public spaces
- Created a safer environment for locals and tourists
