Having made considerable strides to make streets more accessible to pedestrians and bikers in recent years, New York City is continuing to build on that momentum.
Ya-Ting Liu, the city’s first public realm officer, is shepherding $375 million in funding earmarked for projects intended to make the city more environmentally friendly and boost quality of life. The projects will produce more pedestrian plazas on congested streets, wider sidewalks, more bike lanes, and expanded public space.
Community advocates are hopeful that the new position, a kind of “czar of public space,” will speed up progress on these initiatives.
One example: Work wrapped up in June on the first phase of the Mayor’s Broadway Vision Plan. This project added two new plazas and a two-way bike lane along Broadway from West 25th Street to West 32nd Street. The next phase of the plan calls for extended curbs and widened crosswalks to make it easier for vehicles to do pickups and drop-offs without blocking traffic. This project will stretch about 2.8 miles.
Across the East River in Queens, a stretch of Jamaica Avenue now includes granite blocks, tables, chairs, and planters. This space is meant to encourage people to sit, eat, read, and meet friends. This stretch of roadway will also get wider sidewalks, extended curbs, and elevated crosswalks.
Liu’s mission includes bringing equity to projects so that neighborhoods and boroughs all across the city benefit. Liu says the pandemic has sharpened the focus on the importance of having vibrant, inclusive public spaces, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Related Stories
Contractors | Jun 4, 2024
Contractors expect to spend more time on prefabrication, according to FMI study
Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors. FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.
Airports | Jun 3, 2024
SOM unveils ‘branching’ structural design for new Satellite Concourse 1 at O’Hare Airport
The Chicago Department of Aviation has revealed the design for Satellite Concourse 1 at O’Hare International Airport, one of the nation’s business airports. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA), and Arup, the concourse will be the first new building in the Terminal Area Program, the largest concourse area expansion and revitalization in the airport’s almost seven-decade history.
Construction Costs | Jun 3, 2024
Escalation: Predicting project costs in a volatile market
Thad Berkes, Chief Cost Estimator, Design Collaborative, shares that one of the major hurdles that Design Collaborative attempts to forecast for its commercial construction projects is escalation.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 3, 2024
Grassroots groups becoming a force in housing advocacy
A growing movement of grassroots organizing to support new housing construction is having an impact in city halls across the country. Fed up with high housing costs and the commonly hostile reception to new housing proposals, advocacy groups have sprung up in many communities to attend public meetings to speak in support of developments.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
New York’s office to residential conversion program draws interest from 64 owners
New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program has been contacted by the owners of 64 commercial buildings interested in converting their properties to residential use.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
Seattle mayor wants to scale back energy code to spur more housing construction
Seattle’s mayor recently proposed that the city scale back a scheduled revamping of its building energy code to help boost housing production. The proposal would halt an update to the city’s multifamily and commercial building energy code that is scheduled to take effect later this year.
Mass Timber | May 31, 2024
Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions
Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.
Construction Costs | May 31, 2024
Despite challenges, 2024 construction material prices continue to stabilize
Gordian’s Q2 2024 Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report indicates that supply chain issues notwithstanding, many commodities are exhibiting price normalization.
University Buildings | May 30, 2024
Washington University School of Medicine opens one of the world’s largest neuroscience research buildings
In St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation District, Washington University School of Medicine recently opened its new Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building. Designed by CannonDesign and Perkins&Will, the 11-story, 609,000-sf facility is one of the largest neuroscience buildings in the world.
Affordable Housing | May 30, 2024
General contractor’s keys to a successful affordable housing project
General contractors can have tremendous influence over a project’s success in terms of schedule, budget, and quality. However, to ensure a project is put on this path, there are a few factors that must be considered.
