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Water Street: Manhattan CASE STUDY 1Water Street: ManhattanWater Street runs between historic Battery Park and South Street Seaport.Lower Manhattans most important commercial corridor and a centre of New York Citys maritime activity.

1Public Plaza Design Principles

Open and inviting at the sidewalk

Easily seen and read as open to the publicConveys openness through low design elements and generous paths leading into the plazaVisually interesting and contains seatingAccessible

Enhances pedestrian circulationLocated at the same elevation as the sidewalkProvides sense of safety and securityOriented and visually connected to the street Well-litContains easily accessible paths for ingress and egress

Provides places to sitAccommodates a variety of well-designed, comfortable seating for small groups and individuals

CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT RELATED TO DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL STANDARDS FOR PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC PLAZAS

Replace the existing residential plaza definitions and urban plaza standards with a single plaza type called the public plaza.

Revise and update the design standardsfor public plazas, while ensuring that substantial architectural flexibility remains for unique and exciting open space design.

Streamline and consolidateprovisions related to open air cafes and kiosks within plazas, night time closing of plazas, and the process for modification of plaza design guidelines.

Water Street: ManhattanWater Street: Manhattan, source; NYC planning studyHISTORY

During the 1950s- concentration of administrative and accounting activities related to the Financial District

late 1950s - Water Street was widened to relieve the traffic congestion, opening of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.

The large parcels that resulted from the widening of Water Street and the adoption of a new Zoning Resolution in 1961 facilitated the construction of monumental office buildings generously surrounded by open space.

The 1961 zoning allowed developers to construct buildings with more floor area- WITH plazas and arcades,Public Space Distribution along the Street.

the Study showed that Water Street does not function as a strong north-south connector for pedestrians.Issues of public- private spaces- by analysing the case of Water Street. 8

Opportunities of public- private spaces- by analysing the case of Water Street.

All the private-public spaces are in front of commercial or office buildings which abetting the streets. The possibilities of integrating such spaces with city level pedestrian network will be much easier.

Because of the continuous nature of the public space, they can be making as more vibrant and active spaces by introducing the retail commercial built use.

There is too much public with a little pedestrian activity due to the poor sun light and accessibility.

At the ground level, the distribution of public space is too diffuse to support active and vibrant street life.

The arcades set ground floor activities back from the street, limiting options for attractive retail frontage.Design consideration for public space

Pedestrian movement emphasized at street level.

Highlight the special places in the plan, whose character is public and kept along movement line and visual corridor to the sea.

Smaller parcelling of development for incremental development rather than monolithic large scale requirement.

Use regulation- wholesale establishment, automobile service, public service establishment. Bulk regulations- FAR regulation, mandatory arcade, limited height of the building.

Design Tools

Landscape, Visual Icons, Collaboration, and Retail.

LandscapeVisual IconsCollaborationRetailPlantings, such as trees, perennials, and groundcover, can soften a space and make it more welcomingSignage, artwork, interactive installations, and other visual markers help strengthen the identity of a place.Public space can serve as a setting for informal meetings and group work.Active and transparent retail at the ground floor can increase foot traffic and draw people into POPS.Inferences - case study1.

well-programmed and active open space has a positive impact on rents, vacancy, and tenant quality in adjacent real estate. - these impacts range are highly dependent on the acreage, design, and programming of the space.

Financial feasibility varies greatly depending on the cost of the selected design.

extensive retail renovations are not financially viable over the short term, renovated retail may create additional value by providing an amenity for adjacent office space and supporting the rebranding of Water Street.

Water Street: Manhattan CASE STUDY 2Rockefeller Canter, Midtown ManhattanA complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th and 51th streets.

A large parcel of land was available under a single private ownership and the plan has created sufficient profit and initiated growth in mid town area.Rockefeller centre is the most mature demonstration of manhattans unspoken theory of simultaneous existence of different progrms on a single site- Rem Koolhas14

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Public Accessibility Public Accessibility

Subway entrancesUnderground connecting concourse

Donated public spacesManhattan Street grid through Rockefeller centre with pedestrian promenade sunken plazaDonated public spaces18

Sunken plaza - Movement pattern

The sunken plazais the destination, the heart and main focal point of the complex.

opens up the basement/ concourse level to the public.

Later the basement level became the resilient and extendable element of the design since later development.

Design consideration for public space

Maintaining a retail character.Connections and diverse activity pattern in basement level.Mixed use format to ensure a stable public realm.Tree lined street along with continuity in style.

21Legislative measures

Restricting certain usage.

Additional plaza bonus and incentives on covered street connecting buildings.

Encouraging mixed use.Retail commerce- additional FAR will be provided for every extra retail provided.

Residential use for 24hr activity- to encourage the maximum utilization of existing infrastructure.

Strict controls on set back.All the buildings (from 38th to 57th )= to be built to the lot line of avenue and no setback up to 3rd floor is possible.

Building on the west side up to 85 floor no setback.

Building lobbies on the side the streets or 50 feet behind the avenue.

Terrace garden on the privileged window concept.

Roof are to be connected by bridges- create continuous park with different public activities.

Inferences - case study2.

Good demonstration- single owned real estate development could be conceived to be a Great public space as well.

degree of publicness- mixed use , variety, extendibility, and resilience of the public realm.

The different legislative features and incentive techniques seem practical and can be carried ahead and replicated.

Access to and use of the space is only a privilege, not a right.( Tridip banerjee, future of public spaces, 2001)

You have to pay for public life

Many of these spaces are closely monitored by security guards and closed circuit television cameras. The space like a "fortress" environments. (Mike Davis, 1990)

Photograph from Olympic village in StratfordSource: Google imageIssues of Privately owned public spaces