a placemaking strategy - greenwichvillage.nyc · the placemaking approach we start by truly...

A VISION FOR THE NEW ASTOR PLACE

A Placemaking Strategy

FINAL REPORT

by Project for Public Spaces

August 2013

Prepared for the Village Alliance August 2013

Prepared ByProject for Public Spaces, PPS

Introduction

About PPS and the Placemaking Approach

A Brief Historical Overview

Power Of Ten on Astor Place

Goals for Astor Place

A Program for the Spaces

Next Steps

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3 5

7

9

11

21

Astor Place Subway PlazaSubway Plaza

The Alamo Plaza56 new trees

104 new standard DOT bike racks

Cooper Triangle

DOT bike racks

6,620 SF of permeable paving

400 SF of swale planting for stormwater management

18,415 SF new additional planting

The Village Plaza

New Tree

Existing Tree

40’ 160’

80’

Project Scope

Existing Curbs

4

Plan Diagram

Scale: Graphic Scale

Proposed DesignDDC / DOT / Parks

WXY/QRP/Oudolf/Tillett

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Reconstruction of Astor Place and Cooper Square

1/30/2012

A Vision for Astor Place1

IntroductionIn February 2013 Project for Public Spaces (PPS) began a collaboration with the Village Alliance on an initiative to develop a Site Activation Plan for Astor Place. This initiative, spurred by physical and traffic improvements proposed by NYCDOT for Astor Place, represents a critical opportunity to transform the space from an underperforming, lackluster traffic island into the civic heart of the neighborhood, as well as into one of New York City’s great public spaces.

In addition to PPS, the Village Alliance has enlisted the help of city activators who will develop a detailed program of events for the new public space Astor Place is poised to become. PPS is using a proactive approach to understanding existing patterns of use and developing a programmatic vision with the community, while cityactivators outline implementation and management strategies.

PPS is deeply familiar with Astor Place, as it is on our office’s very doorstep. We believe the renovation of Astor Place is a momentous occasion, as it is one that we have long advocated for.

PPS uses a Placemaking approach to engage local stakeholders and the broader communities in the planning and activation of Astor Place. This approach provides a roadmap for the types of activities and amenities necessary to create a lively public space, and to bring people together to celebrate the civic and cultural richness of the area. The ultimate goal of the Placemaking approach is to develop an informed, inspiring and agreed upon vision and a program, which builds consensus and capacity to transform Astor Place into one of the great public spaces in New York City.


Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit planning, design, and educational organization dedicated to helping communities transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation, and serve common needs. To develop successful public spaces, it is essential to understand the needs of both current and potential users, the community dynamics and conditions. To this end, PPS uses structured observations, surveys, focus group interviews, and a unique community process that focuses on a full range of local stakeholders – residents, students, property and business managers, cultural and arts organizations, schools and colleges, major employers, community board members and city agency representatives.

THE PLACEMAKING APPROACH

We start by truly understanding how people use a place and what activities could draw them there. Design cannot be the starting point for creating a great place. Within any successful plaza, there needs to be several dynamic destinations that attract different kinds of people. These destinations must offer people many things to do - socializing, eating, reading, playing a game, interacting with art, people watching, etc. Creating a great plaza requires working with the community to articulate a vision for these activities and destinations. From this Placemaking process, PPS builds a concept plan--a program for uses, activities, and destinations--which guides the development of the space.

PPS worked in partnership with the Village Alliance and the Astor Place community to build a program of activities that will attract partners, excite stakeholders, and delight the public. In this process we worked together to identify key partners for implementation, funding, organizing events, and managing the space.

THE PROCESS

We began our work by first reviewing a user analysis study of Astor Place PPS had conducted in 1998-99. The study offered a rich array of data, including time-lapse footage, pedestrian counts, activity mapping, observation data, ground floor analysis of building fronts, summary of past surveys (Cooper Union, Village Alliance) and some recommendations. To complete that picture from recent history, we conducted a brief historic overview to identify historical moments and figures of significance. The results of this overview a presented further in this report.

PPS and the Alliance engaged in an inclusive public process consisting of stakeholder interviews and focus groups, a public visioning workshop, an online survey, and a presentation to CB 2.

Stakeholder interviews were conducted with area property owners and property managers; Cooper Union students and faculty; a vast array of area arts organizations; area residents; and office workers. Over a hundred people were contacted in the outreach process.

About PPS and the Placemaking Approach


The focus group process served as a ramp-up to a broader public visioning workshop, held on April 18, 2013 and hosted by Grace Church High School. Close to sixty people attended the workshop and engaged in the Place Performance Evaluation Game. The workshop asked participants to identify events, activities, and initiatives that the Alliance and its public and private partners could implement. People were asked to brainstorm program ideas that would help activate Astor Place, as well as potential amenities and linkages that will make the space more comfortable, welcoming and attractive to users. Working in small groups and looking a small sites within Astor place, participants were able to visit the place, evaluate the existing public space and envision a new one. By participating in this ‘game’, attendees had the opportunity to get to know each other better and to gain new insights into the way the space functions for people with different needs and abilities.

In order to expand the number of people involved in the Placemaking process at Astor Place, PPS designed an online survey, which was distributed by the Village Alliance via its list-serve and newsletter. The survey did not yield statistically significant results (only 50 people have responded so far) but it offered thoughtful and heartfelt comments and ideas from people who really care

about the place.

The ideas generated in the public process, along with PPS’ knowledge of great public spaces worldwide and the elements needed to create them, represent the foundation for the recommendations outlined in this report.


The streets in and around Astor Place are rich with a history which often isn’t evident to passers-by - from buildings and events, to the small details hidden in subway entrances and on lamp-posts. Throughout focus groups and the public workshop there was great interest in the neighborhood’s past, with strong support for having this history permanently highlighted. This perception was often described as a way to help strengthen Astor Place’s diverse and creative character, prized beyond almost any other quality of the space. For example: “It [Astor Place] should retain the character of the neighborhood, tie back to its history” (Arts focus group).

“Astor Place is a huge draw for tourists and native NYers alike. The historical importance of the area cannot be overstated... It is a crossroads between Union Square, the East Village, Noho, etc., AND it’s a stone’s throw from Washington Square Park! The importance of The Public Theater and Joe’s Pub must be emphasized and highlighted” (online survey respondent).

This neighborhood was home to the wealthy in the mid-late 19th century, including the Astor, Vanderbilt and Delano families, William Cullen Bryant and Isaac Singer. Many architectural relics still reflect this period, including the Astor Place Off-Broadway Theatre (1831), part of a historic colonnade row; the Public Theater (1853-1881), formerly Astor Place Library and still an arts hub; and the Wanamaker building (1906), formerly an elegant department store (one of the first in the US) now home to K-Mart. Yet this time was not without drama. The Cooper Union riots in 1849 remain one of the worst cases of civil unrest in US

history with 22 deaths and 10,000 demonstrators. The riots erupted at the Astor Place Opera House due to anti-British sentiment, sparked by rivalry between an American and a British actor who both happened to be playing Macbeth in two separate theatre companies on Astor Place.

A number of famous figures have shaped – and continue to shape – Astor Place, such as John Jacob Astor himself (1763-1848), a self-made fur magnate who donated $400,000 to start a public library. A beaver plaque placed in the subway (one of only 28 original subway stations in NYC) continues to honor his influence. Peter Cooper (1791-1883) was an industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and the oldest ever US presidential candidate nominee. He was responsible for a number of inventions of note, from the pragmatic - designing and building the first steam locomotive and a crank-operated washing machine, to the somewhat more quirky - jello. His most visible legacy stands in the form of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, which he established under the mandate of free and open access education, an issue under hot negotiation at this very moment. In fact politics run deeply through the Cooper Union. Its Great Hall (1858) remains a venue used by heads of state, from Abraham Lincoln’s historic 1867 address to Barack Obama’s economic speech in

A Brief Historical Overview


2008.

Astor Place fell into disrepair from 1900’s - 1960s/70s, with its rebirth very much shaped by grassroots custodians, such as artists and local communities. For example, the Alamo cube (1967), intended for a temporary 6 month installation was made permanent after residents protested its removal. There are figures such as Jerry Delakas, who has been the face behind the newstand on Lafayette Street for 25 years, even appearing on Sex and the City. Traces of history also adorn Astor Place’s lamp-posts and vertical surfaces, the work of ‘Mosaic Man’ (Jim Power). He built up 80 light poles in 1988, and for 25 years has made mosaic installations which depict Lower Manhattan’s history, from Al Capone to 9/11. In 2004 he was even inducted into the City Lore Peoples Hall of Fame with official recognition of contribution to city by Mayor Bloomberg. The ‘Mosaic Traill’ is now a tourist activity, and the installations have been one of the most commonly discussed historical elements discussed by our participants - telling, as Powers is currently seeking ways to preserve his work.

This brief snapshot is just a taste of the history which can be highlighted to enhance Astor Place’s character through amenities and programming.


Great Places are more than the sum of their parts. How can Astor Place take its rightful place in the string of great public spaces along the spine of Broadway? What would make it a great place? Simply put, great places are about offering a variety of things to do in one spot – resulting in a place that is more than the sum of its parts. A larger plaza space is a good start. A plaza with a fountain, interactive art, and a newspaper vendor is better. If there’s a sidewalk café, a subway stop, a bike station, and great food nearby, this is what most people would consider a great place. Astor Place already has many of these ingredients, and while some of them could use improvement, they are present. What Astor Place needs is to tie these mini-places together, and to give people reasons and opportunities to stop and enjoy them. Research conducted by PPS in 1998 on pedestrian traffic volumes shows that nearly 100,000 people walk through the space on a daily basis. Since 1999 a lot has changed on Astor Place, and there is reason to believe that this number has grown even higher. So how could we engage some of

these hundreds of thousands of people into the space? How do we make it attractive, fun and intuitive?

PPS uses the Power of Ten (indebted to the classic short film, “Powers of 10,” by Charles and Ray Eames), to illustrate this concept but there’s no reason to get fixated on a particular number. “Ten” refers generally to the ultimate goals of variety and choice. When we talk about the “Power of Ten,” we’re stressing the fact that we should always think of how Placemaking can be accomplished at different scales.

To re-build Astor Place around places we need a diverse array of activities for a variety of people, so no single use dominates. One of the chief values of using the Power of Ten as a framework for thinking about place is its flexibility. There may not be ten great places within the boundaries of Astor Place, or even five. But Astor Place can capitalize on the vibrant street life and the hundreds of small cafes, shops, restaurants, theaters, and cultural institutions enlivening the neighborhood. Astor Place needs to capture the imagination of the hundred thousand pedestrians that cross the area daily and are looking for ways to engage with the place. It also needs to give people cues, through amenities, programs, events, and art, about

what they are invited to do in the space, what is desirable and encouraged.

For the purposes of the Place Evaluation Game and public workshop, and based on the designs developed by DOT and its consultants, we were able to establish several sub-places, or mini-destinations within the broader Astor Place area. These places include the Astor Place Subway Plaza, the Alamo Plaza/core Astor Place, Cooper Square North & the Foundation Building, the new Village Plaza and Cooper Triangle. Outlined below are some of the ideas generated in the public process for each of these destinations. We have focused mostly on the areas that are within the purview of the Village Alliance, but recommendations for Cooper Triangle, a mapped parkland managed by the City, and the Village Plaza, which will be the of Grace Church High School, are also included.

Power Of Ten on Astor Place


The Placemaking process helped the team to identify several broader goals for Astor place as a great public space:

• Astor Place needs to be featured as a “proper” place with its own character, history, dynamics;

• The quirky, gritty, unique character of the area should be preserved and showcased;

• Keeping the area inclusive and affordable is very important;

• The existing sense of spontaneity and ease should be preserved;

• Showcasing visual and performance art from the area is key;

• The new Astor Place needs food options with good amenities;

• Astor Place should offer appropriate programming in a managed way while leaving room for spontaneity;

• The new Astor Place should support and emphasize the neighborhood character of its adjacent public spaces -- Cooper Triangle and the new Village Plaza.

Goals for Astor Place


Suggested Uses and activities

Astor Place Subway Plaza will give people the opportunity to:

• Access transit;

• Get oriented to the area;

• Use WiFi;

• Sit outdoors;

• Buy and eat food;

• Attend or participate in small scale cultural activities ;

• Engage with site-specific art;

• Watch & meet people.

Potential amenities

These activities will be supported by the following physical amenities

• Two small seating area with tables, chairs, planters, a few umbrellas are proposed to enhance the seating element provided by the large planter steps included in DOT’s design:

- One such area could be located at the northern tip of the plaza, a place that is currently underused. This area will

Astor Place Subway Plaza Recommendations

Vision

The expanded Astor Place Subway Plaza presented in NYCDOT’s design will be a larger, greener, better connected space than what exists today. It will also be a place that is not used just for transit access, but one that accommodates and allows for related activities to occur comfortably and in a more well-defined fashion. While it will remain a space with a lower level of activity than other destinations within Astor Place, the Subway Plaza will now allow users to engage in a range of small-scale activities.

be wider and could allow for quieter activities such as reading and using WiFi. The area could invite a portable newsstand or newspaper vendor/distributor to offer reading materials to users;

- Another seating area would be located along 4th Avenue close to where the Mud Truck parks now.

• No curbside parking will be allowed adjaent to the subway plaza. However a temporary food kiosk may be located here, subject to an open bidding process.The Mud Truck itself will be replaced by a food kiosk and Mud Coffee will be encouraged to make an offer and become the concessionaire that operates this new facility;

• Small-scale cultural activities such as the public piano, small performances, and other spontaneous actions will be located south of the proposed planter along Lafayette Street – this will allow for transit users to circulate without obstacles, and for the planter steps to be used for seating. Additional seating could also be provided here with movable chairs.

• Signage and wayfinding elements could be located here so tourists, students and other visitors can quickly get oriented to the area as they arrive from the subway;

• We propose to locate some sort of gateway

A Program for the Spaces




Cooper Triangle

DOT bike racks




The Village Plaza

New Tree

Existing Tree

40’ 160’

80’

Project Scope

Existing Curbs

4

Plan Diagram




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1/30/2012


feature like a unique art piece, near the south-west corner of the plaza creating a sense of arrival both along Lafayette Street and along East 8th Street;

• A small seating platform or bench could be considered directly to the south of the subway entrance, where people often sit on the ground or on the subway structure ledge, to better accommodate this use;

• Large planters could be used to protect the pedestrian space from vehicles on East 8th Street and to add a sense of greenery and color to the area. The structured planter shown by DOT will also offer greenery and possibly small trees.

• The existing CitiBike station could be relocated across Lafayette Street along the Wanamaker/Kmart building, which will put those renting bikes immediately next to the Lafayette Street bike lane;

• The Subway Plaza could be expanded for special one-day events and festivals by temporarily closing 4th Avenue.


The Alamo Plaza / Astor Place Recommendations

Vision

The Alamo Plaza named after the Alamo “cube” sculpture, will become a much larger and more functional space once is expands over Astor Place connecting all the way to the building at 26 Astor Place. As per DOT’s design Astor Place will be eliminated as a through street between Lafayette and Cooper Square. The new Alamo Plaza will

continue to serve as the core of Astor Place offering amenities, programmed activities, and a real place for people to enjoy.

Suggested uses and activities

People will be much better accommodated in the new space to:

• Sit outdoors and eat;

• Meet others and watch people;

• Participate in scheduled programs & events;

• Shop at a variety of markets;

• Get information about cultural and art offerings in the area;

• Order and pick-up food for lunch;

• Engage with art (cube and other).

Potential amenities

These activities will be supported by the following physical amenities:

• A seating area with colorful street furniture – tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters that reflect the character of the neighborhood would offer people a variety of places to sit;

• The south-bound subway entrance across

Lafayette Street could feature another artistic gateway element (i.e. Parisian style metro sign);

• A multi-functional kiosk could offer a variety of services throughout the day, for example:

- In the morning and at lunch time the kiosk could serve as a food concierge, meaning area office workers, students, and other could order food for lunch at the kiosk from a variety of participating food establishments in the area, at lunch time they would pick-up their delivery at the kiosk and be able to enjoy eating it in the plaza;

- In the afternoon and evening various cultural groups from the neighborhood could offer information, tickets, programs, and even short previews out of the kiosk to all who are interested;

- Throughout the day the kiosk could also offer information about area attractions, destinations, activities, etc.

- It is understood that staffing the kiosk would be the biggest obstacle to running this type of multi-functional facility and the Village Alliance will need support in order to sustain such service.

• In addition to the multi-functional kiosk, information will be made available through a plaza-wide signage and wayfinding




Cooper Triangle

DOT bike racks




The Village Plaza

New Tree

Existing Tree

40’ 160’

80’

Project Scope

Existing Curbs

4

Plan Diagram




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1/30/2012


system. DOT will install signage on Astor Place as part of the program by subway entrances.

• The Alamo, as the largest space at Astor Place, will also be able to accommodate a variety of programmed events ranging from daily, weekly and monthly activities to special events and festivals. To do that we propose that the center of the plaza be left open as a potential stage or a portable deck area that would occassionally host:

- Regular exercise classes by area gyms like Yoga / tai-chi / capoeira etc.

- Dance and performance classes by area gyms, dance studios, theater and performance companies;

- Small concerts by area cultural institutions, schools and colleges, or for events such as Make Music New York;

- Activities for families and youth, etc.

• The Village Alliance with help from city activators will be building a detailed program of events exploring collaborations with area educational and cultural organizations, businesses and entertainment venues. This program will seek to establish both regular events as well as seasonal themed events. Flexible amenities in the plaza could also help create seasonal themes for the space such as water or sprinklers and ice cream in the

summer, and space heaters, blankets and hot chocolate in the Winter.

• The Alamo Plaza will also be able to accommodate special events, fundraisers, as well as events aiming to raise its profile within the network of public spaces in New York City. Madison Square Eats and Flatiron Chefs were used as examples illustrating the type of event that may occur here, but we do understand that Astor Place is a unique place with its own flair and specific culture and will probably create its own type of special event;

- A variety of markets were discussed as potential special events in the plaza including a night market, which was suggested by both residents and area office workers; a weekly farmer’s market; arts and crafts markets reflecting the work of artists and makers in the neighborhood; special seasonal markets – holiday markets, flower and plant market, etc.;

- A seasonal carousel was proposed as an amenity that could accompany a holiday market.


Examples of Street Furniture.

Madison Square, New York

Union Square North, New York

Paris Plage, France

Paris Tourist Information Kiosk

MUMOK, ViennaHerald Square, New York


Cooper Square North / Foundation Building Recommendations

Vision

Under the new DOT plan, Cooper Square and the Cooper Union Foundation Building will benefit from significantly expanded sidewalks, which need to become part of the overall Astor Place experience. While this area is a mapped city park and functions as the lone public space for Cooper Union’s Campus, recommendations and

ideas from the Placemaking process made it clear that community members see this area as part of a whole that needs to be woven together in a meaningful way. Focus group meetings with Cooper Union students revealed their eagerness to showcase their work in public and to be a stronger presence on Astor Place. Thus the vision for this area is for the wider sidewalks to become the site of art exhibits, books and culture-related vending and events, a place that keeps the flavor of Saint Mark’s Place and connects the villages.


With expanded sidewalks along the Foundation Building and Cooper Square, people will be able to:

• View art and other exhibits in the Foundation Building colonnade and on the sidewalk;

• Use the extra-wide sidewalk along Cooper Square as an alternative or spillover location for any proposed markets;

• Shop for books and other printed materials along the Foundation Building;

• Watch small informal performances at the corner of Cooper Square and Astor Place;

• Listen to or give a speech/talk at the free speech corner;

• Engage with art and architecture around the Cooper Union.

Potential amenities

Some simple amenities could go a long way in both supporting activity on the sidewalks and giving public space users clues as to what activities are encouraged and welcome in the space.

• Students and the Cooper Union could be encouraged to create a free speech / soap box corner for small performances, speeches, storytelling, open mic etc. at the south east corner of Cooper Square and Astor Place. Students and area cultural groups such as the Bowery Poetry Club could collaborate to program this place. In order to activate the corner and make it into a usable public space, the large willow tree proposed in the DOT designs could be moved closer to Astor Place curb;

• The Foundation Building colonnades along Cooper Square and the new extra-wide sidewalk could feature student art work;

- For the sidewalk, art displays designed and built by Cooper students could help expand the exhibit surface and populate the sidewalk;




Cooper Triangle

DOT bike racks




The Village Plaza

New Tree

Existing Tree

40’ 160’

80’

Project Scope

Existing Curbs

4

Plan Diagram




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1/30/2012


• Additional seating such as benches or movable chairs could be offered along Cooper Square under the new trees facing exhibit displays;

• The extra-wide sidewalk along Cooper Square/4th Avenue could be used for special markets and fairs;

• As part of this strategy, Cooper Union may want to encourage book sellers and other vendors to set-up along Foundation Building leading to St. Mark’s Place;

• The Foundation Building could improve and humanize its façade along Astor Place by removing fences, placing planters and landscaping along the façade, offering benches and opportunities for people to engage with the building;

• The area could offer Wifi and possibly an app-based urban game developed to feature destinations nearby.


Cooper Triangle/ Village Plaza Recommendations

Vision

The new Village Plaza along with an improved Cooper Triangle will be places with a strong neighborhood character. DOT’s plan envisions 4th Avenue as a reconfigured limited access street that will carry very low volumes of traffic, although buses will remain on 4th Avenue and will continue to use the street as a layover location. The reconfiguration of 4th Avenue will allow for

the creation of the Village Plaza, which is expected to be maintained and managed by Grace Church High School and its students. Cooper Triangle will be expanded and some upgrades are expected to the space. Participants in the public workshop envisioned these two spaces as quieter places for families, children, neighborhood markets and the like.


Cooper Triangle was envisioned as a more usable park space, where area residents can enjoy a green environment and can:

• Relax in the park;

• Play in a safe park environment;

• Enjoy a garden environment;

• Play table games;

The new large sidewalk at Cooper Triangle and Village Plaza would allow people to:

• Engage in neighborhood-oriented activities – meet neighbors, learn about neighborhood events, etc.

• Shop at market(s);

• Have coffee in the plaza;

• Connect to local history;

• Enjoy seasonal programs.

Potential amenities

Specific recommendations were made for physical improvements to Cooper Triangle such as:

• Expand park with more plants and greenery. The placemaking process showed that many stakeholders wished to see a more green environment at Astor Place, and Cooper Triangle was identified as the place where that environment could be enhanced;

• Remove the fences to improve access and to allow for expansion of the green space;

• Use plantings and shrubbery to create a sense of enclosure and to replace the fence;

• Create garden areas in Cooper Triangle maintained by neighbor gardeners;

• Install an interactive play element for kids in Cooper Triangle, could be designed and built by Cooper students;

• Install ping pong, chess, fussball tables in the plaza by the Foundation Building to be maintained and managed by Cooper Union students;

• Create a wifi hotspot in Cooper Triangle;




Cooper Triangle

DOT bike racks




The Village Plaza

New Tree

Existing Tree

40’ 160’

80’

Project Scope

Existing Curbs

4

Plan Diagram




0 60


1/30/2012


The Village Plaza, which will be the responsibility of Grace Church High School and its students, was seen as a more passive area with simple amenities including:

• Planters, shown in DOT’s design, to be planted and maintained by high school students;

• A seating area with chairs, tables, umbrellas that could have a coffee cart vendor in the morning and afternoon;

• A neighborhood bulletin board to be maintained by high school students;

• Neighborhood gateway signage focusing mostly on neighborhood destinations and amenities.


As Astor Place and Cooper Triangle go into phased construction over the next year, the Village Alliance will continue to prepare organizationally and programmatically to take ownership of the new and improved Astor Place. There are a number of next steps the Alliance should pursue in the upcoming months.

• The Alliance will continue building on the programming concept working with city activators to refine ideas from the Placemaking process and to create a realistic, workable schedule of events for the space with commitment from area partners and identified funding sources.

• The Alliance should also work to identify, select and purchase the appropriate amenities needed for the destinations of Astor Place. The stakeholders who contributed to the Placemaking process were very explicit about their desire to see unique and artistic amenities in Astor Place that go above and beyond what DOT provides for NYC plazas. PPS can help advise and put the Alliance in contact with manufacturers and makers to create a

unique feel and look for the plaza by adding to the standard DOT amenities, but not completely replacing them.

• Creating a unique feel and character for Astor Place will certainly involve art elements, and the Alliance and its task force will need to define, fund and hold an art competition or a call for public art proposals that could cover a variety of elements like incorporating art into amenities; creating artistic gateway markers or features; potentially creating a child-friendly piece of interactive art; etc. The art institutions and galleries in the area could be invited to promote, recruit artists, and judge the competition but most importantly should be encouraged to fund the realization of the winning entries. Some of these institutions may also be able to donate appropriate pieces from their collections.

• The Alliance will also have to establish an RFP processes for various concessions like food, coffee, markets, special events, etc. Selecting the right vendor for the right location will be a critical piece in this process. Successful concessions will be crucial in assuring the economic sustainability of Astor Place as a great public space.

• Among other steps to pursue in the improvement of Astor Place, wayfinding and signage design will be important, and a digital strategy for wayfinding and

promotion of Astor Place could also be considered.

Next Steps

July 2013

FINAL REPORTby

Project for Public Spaces

A VISION FOR THE NEW ASTOR PLACE A Placemaking Strategy (Placemaking Guidelines)

a placemaking strategy - greenwichvillage.nyc · the placemaking approach we start by truly...

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