Attending the Walk21 conference in New York was a great opportunity to see first hand the changes being made in the city especially the new plazas along Broadway. The results are very impressive with 1,400sqm of new public space. They were hugely busy and have obviously been well received by the city residents. Most interesting perhaps is the minimal budget on which these changes have all been made. There aren’t any glossy new paved areas, or fancy lighting. All it took was a bold decision by Mayor Bloomberg and transport commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, some tubs of paint, bollards and planters – and of course some deck chairs to put out in Times Square.
For more information check out the latest edition of Footprints, or go to the New York Department of Transport website
If you want to know more about the conference, all the papers are available on the Walk21 website