Via Felix Salmon it appears that part of Broadway, between 47th and 52nd, is going to be closed to traffic and walkways, grass, plants etc installed to make a pedestrian zone. If the pilot project is a success, it could be expanded to include larger and larger chunks of the major avenue until, quite possible, the entirety of Broadway could be a park!
The project is the brainchild of Janette Sadik-Khan, the city's transportation commissioner and it is hoped that shutting down some of the busiest portions of Broadway will both improve the area's tourist and retail appeal while at the same time reducing accidents around some of the city's most dangerous traffic intersections. From an urban-planning perspective it's a fantastic concept, one that will open up a large chunk of midtown to pedestrians while encouraging public transportation. As the NY mag article says, wouldn't it be amazing if New York ended up with two major parks? One as old as the city, the other a 21st century innovation?
Update: Check out this NYT slideshow of Broadway having undergone the change
The project is the brainchild of Janette Sadik-Khan, the city's transportation commissioner and it is hoped that shutting down some of the busiest portions of Broadway will both improve the area's tourist and retail appeal while at the same time reducing accidents around some of the city's most dangerous traffic intersections. From an urban-planning perspective it's a fantastic concept, one that will open up a large chunk of midtown to pedestrians while encouraging public transportation. As the NY mag article says, wouldn't it be amazing if New York ended up with two major parks? One as old as the city, the other a 21st century innovation?
Update: Check out this NYT slideshow of Broadway having undergone the change
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