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Re-Imagining the Ground Plane for Times Square’s Second Century
In anticipation of the City’s upcoming “Complete Streets” reconstruction of Times Square’s streets and sidewalks, the Alliance has worked to develop a vision for the Bowtie and a series of solutions in order to fashion a world-class, multi-functional plaza.
The Times Square Bowtie with
the Seventh Avenue Crossover |
With the research and engineering of Philip Habib & Associates, and in partnership with the Department of Transportation, we have successfully tested an alternative traffic configuration, closing Seventh Avenue crossover at 45th Street. This new configuration frees up additional pedestrian space and allows us to refit Times Square as a unique plaza with a continuous pedestrian corridor along the center islands. |
A rendering of the Bowtie with continuous center islands
(credit: Project for Public Spaces)
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In order to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-imagine Times Square, we engaged prominent architects, urban designers and other creative professionals in a focused problem-solving workshop on planning and designing detailed solutions for a new streetscape. Working with consultants at Starr Whitehouse and the Project for Public Spaces, we developed a comprehensive creative brief outlining our problems, identifying multiple users, and recognizing opportunities for improvement with “best practices” research for sidewalks, street furniture, paving, lighting, and signage.
We started with the objective of designing a flexible and multifunctional space, creating a unique destination, enhancing pedestrian circulation, and activating the center islands. We urged our design partners to:
- Use world-class design and focused programming to address our pedestrian, public space and perception problems
- Create places where people – New Yorkers and tourists alike – can stop, meet, and observe
- Re-think the relationships between pedestrian and vehicular spaces using better pedestrian and traffic management
- Think of Times Square as an ever-changing theater set by fostering the exhibition of creativity in public art, distinctive events, and small-scale performances
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The designs and proposals cut across a wide range of concepts, representing different ways to enrich the pedestrian experience. Check out Times Square: The Second Century for a look at the results from the workshop, including our topline recommendations and core themes that will inform our work going forward.
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Some sample images from the workshop results...
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Weisz + Yoes Studio /
Doyle Partners |
Billings Jackson /
Two Twelve |
West 8 Urban Design |
Ken Smith Landscape Architects / Work AC |
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