Public Space Management

“New York City needs leadership to ensure public spaces throughout the five boroughs can thrive regardless of available resources.”

— Gotham Gazette, June 2022

What do we mean by public space?

Public space includes all the places outside your home that are not privately owned. Parks, yes, but also the sidewalks and the tree beds dotting them; the space next to the curb; the middle of every intersection; the streets on every block.

These are the places where everyday life happens; they are the heart and soul of New York City. Streets and sidewalks are where New Yorkers socialize, do business, get fresh air and pass the time. They host impromptu games, foster connection, and inspire collaboration. 

What do we mean by management?

Management refers to care, stewardship, and cultivation of public space. A well-managed public space considers the safety and comfort of all users, not just car drivers; it is supported and maintained within a larger, citywide framework for public space; it encourages and inspires resident involvement; it creates connection and enrichment; and it makes our city more livable for future generations. Put simply – it’s clean, accessible, and has a positive impact on the community.

Although the City has pursued some major public realm improvements in recent years, its focus has been on large-scale capital projects rather than the day-to-day management needed to maintain and develop public spaces, large and small, in all corners of the city. 

Commercial hubs like Union Square and Herald Square have received significant capital investment in recent years. Credits: NYC DOT (l); Ana Maria Oliynyk (r).

This approach isn’t strategic or equitable. Major commercial hubs are receiving fanfare and funding but the City lacks a strategic vision for how public space should be developed, and cared for, across the five boroughs. The result is a disorganized, patchwork public realm where a few pockets are highly designed and resourced while others languish. Multiple City agencies, departments, and partners work within the public realm but their efforts are often siloed. Everyday New Yorkers are stepping up to develop their own public spaces, like Open Streets, but this model favors high-resource areas and places far too much burden on community members. Systems for permitting and liability seem designed to actively discourage public use of public space, rather than the opposite. Without a focus on strategic management and reform of these conditions, our public space will continue to suffer. Decision makers need to rethink their approach to New York City’s streets, sidewalks, and plazas. We need to prioritize our everyday public spaces. We need true public space management.

Saskia Haegans, vice-chair of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, which organizes the Vanderbilt Avenue Open Streets, discusses the challenges of managing a thriving Open Street without strong support from the City.

In February 2023, Mayor Eric Adams took the first step toward public space management when he appointed the city’s first-ever Chief Public Realm Officer, Ya-Ting Liu. This historic role is responsible for thinking strategically about the city’s public space; aligning the disparate work of various stakeholders; and creating a unified vision for how we use and allocate streets, curbs, and sidewalks. This position, however, is focused on capital projects. What’s still missing is the philosophy and framework to fulfill the City’s strategic, tactical, and daily needs in every neighborhood.

A more holistic and strategic plan for the public realm would:

  • Develop guiding principles for a diverse public realm that will inform and inspire individual projects throughout the city

  • Establish a culture that proactively pursues strategic care and stewardship

  • Prioritize the safety and needs of all community members, not just car owners, on streets and at the curb

  • Coordinate efforts across the many stakeholders that work within the public realm, including DOT, DSNY, the Mayoral administration, community programmers, and more

  • Foster and facilitate collaboration between City agencies and communities 

  • Reform insurance requirements that place undue burden on public space activators 

  • Simplify permitting processes for Open Streets and other uses (such as block parties, school fairs, etc) to encourage public use of the street 

  • Provide design leadership to develop standards for high-functioning street furniture, bike corrals, bioswales and curb extensions 

  • Shift responsibility of maintenance from communities and local businesses to City agencies

  • Instill an accessibility-first mindset into street design and use

Alliance for Public Space Leadership

Open Plans is also working in coalition with organizations and advocates across sectors who are committed to creating more equitable, accessible, and joyful public space. This Alliance for Public Space Leadership amplifies the diverse needs and vast potential in our public spaces, and collaborates with decision makers to develop substantive and sustainable solutions for the future.

Our partners include advocates and experts in safe streets, disability rights, street vending, city parks, and more – all dedicated to collaborating on a future for our public realm that includes everyone.