A project to re-envision Grand Army Plaza, transforming it into what it was originally designed to be -- one of New York City's premier public spaces.

Grand Army Plaza has the potential to be one of New York City's great public spaces. Unfortunately, as currently conceived, GAP is not the great public space it was designed to be. Rather, it is a huge and complex system for routing motor vehicle traffic to and from the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. The Department of Transportation's traffic engineers are proud of their work at GAP. It took some truly innovative engineering to figure out how to flush so many vehicles through such a complex intersection so efficiently. Unfortunately, the results of this engineering are not working for pedestrians, park users, weekend greenmarket shoppers, cyclists, stroller-pushers and the many other non-motorized constituenices that use GAP. GAP is a critical node in Brooklyn's street network. It connects some of Brooklyn's most important thoroughfares, neighborhoods, and cultural institutions. Yet, GAP is a gigantic chasm in Brooklyn's landscape. Rather than connecting people and bringing them together, GAP, in its current form, keeps us apart from one another.

Here are just a few of the problems I see at GAP:

• Pedestrian signals are timed to trap large numbers of walkers, even the fast ones, in a meagerly-protected island in the middle of terrifying Flatbush Avenue. These signal timings are not a mistake. This is the DOT's carefully thought-out solution.

• Big pieces of valuable park land and great public monuments like the Bailey Fountain and Soldiers and Sailors monument arch (equal in many ways to Paris's Arc d'Triumphe) are almost completely inaccessible to all but the most intrepid pedestrians, forced to cross many lanes of daunting traffic.

• Rather than connecting people, neighborhoods, and Brooklyn's great cultural institutions (the Museum, the Library and Prospect Park, in its current configuration, GAP functions as a chasm, a barrier, a divider. One example: Prospect Heights school children are unable to go to Prospect Park for recess because teachers and parents are concerned with the safety of leading them across GAP's busy streets. This is particularly sad since the park is mere yards from their school and their school has no gym or outdoor playground space. Rather than having some time to play in the park on nice days, these kids stay inside all day only because it is too dangerous to cross Eastern Parkway.

• The horn-honking and aggressive, congested traffic on surrounding neighborhoods streets drives residents nuts. This is particularly problematic on Plaza Street which could and should be one of the most beautiful residential and pedestrian enclaves in New York City.

• Cars are actually allowed to drive inside of Prospect Park during morning and afternoon rush hours, endangering park users, fouling the air, and making GAP traffic control a measure more complex than it needs to be.

• Cyclists are barely considered or accounted for at Grand Army Plaza despite the fact the Prospect Park is one of the city's most popular cycling destinations and the neighborhoods surrounding GAP are the most heavily-populated bike commuter neighborhoods in the city.

• During the popular weekend farmer's markets pedestrian traffic is so thick that it nearly spills into the rushing traffic of Flatbush Avenue.
  

Follow-up questions:

What case can we make in favor of redesigning GAP? What are the costs and benefits of the current system versus a new one?

What design ideas can improve GAP?

What open, public process should be implemented to generate new design ideas for GAP?

Who should participate?

What opposition should we expect?

What expertise do we need at the table in reconceiving and redesigning GAP?

How do we build political pressure to make changes in GAP?

Where does the money come from to transform GAP?

Posted: March 25, 2006 by Clarence - Jeff Prant and I came up with TWO GREAT video ideas/events to highlight just how inaccessible the Arch and greenareas in the middle are. And these would be fairly simple and fast pieces to turn around to really get the dialogue started. FIRST IDEA: Go out to the greenmarket one Saturday. Ask people basically three questions 1) How long they have lived in Brooklyn/Park Slope/"the area". 2) Ask them if they have ever visited the green areas that are virtually inaccessible. 3) Ask them follow ups about wanting to see the area/access improved. My bet is this: a large majority of people who have lived there for years have never been to visit it. I haven't, I have lived here 15 years. According to Jeff, the day he and Mike tabled to get that traffic island improvement, it was the easiest tabling/advocacy he has ever done. People swarmed the table, people stuck around to actually help get signatures. When is the last time you ever heard that? IDEA TWO: Could be done/filmed in the same day. Lead a "mock" tour to the GAP center. Have a sign that says something like: Walking tour to GAP. Meet here at noon. Then show how difficult/scary it is to cross. And how you legally have to walk literally many, many blocks to cross legally from PP. The visuals for these would be amazing and this is a quick an easy project. Clarence


3/30 First draft mission statement from Jeff Prant:
We are a coalition of individuals, organizations, and businesses who are committed to improving the public's experience of Grand Army Plaza. The Plaza now functions as little more than a traffic rotary, a place to be endured rather than savored. However, with its concentration of major cultural institutions, notable architectural elements, and central location, Grand Army Plaza could be the focal point of a renewed and revitalized Brooklyn. We aim to conceptualize and encourage this transformation.

Comments from Beth Morrow:
I would add in something about how it currently severs rather than connects the communities that surround it, since I thought that was a powerful point that came up. And, something about how we envision it a a place that supports pedestrian, bicycles, and cars at the same time -- rather than just cars.
And here's another reworking below, building on what many of you have suggested. Caroline Grand Army Plaza Coalition We are a coalition of individuals, organizations and businesses who are firmly committed to improving the public’s experience of Grand Army Plaza. The Plaza currently functions as little more than a massive traffic rotary, separating communities in its wake. Access to the Arch and fountain is limited and unsafe for children. Despite recent improvements, the Plaza is too often a place to be endured or avoided, rather than enjoyed. Given its concentration of major cultural institutions, notable architectural elements and location, Grand Army Plaza is the obvious focal point of a renewed and revitalized Brooklyn. We of the Coalition envision Grand Army Plaza to be one of New York City’s great public spaces, inviting to pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motorized traffic. As Brooklyn’s “town square,” we want Grand Army Plaza to unite the surrounding neighborhoods and become a place where Brooklyn’s diverse communities can easily converge for celebrations or simple enjoyment. It is the intention of the Coalition to conceptualize, encourage and advocate for the positive transformation of Grand Army Plaza. You may know this already but I just wanted to flag up something I received in the post yesterday: the Brooklyn Public Library Foundation is soliciting donations for their $16.5 million capital campaign to "Break New Ground" on their plaza. I know they are key stake holders so it would be interesting to look at their process and especially their marketing. Here's the bolded quote from Ginnie Cooper, the Executive Director: "A new Auditorium for public programs, and a reconfigured Plaza with places to sit, wireless connectivity and improved access for babies in strollers and people in wheelchairs will make Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library even more popular. When construction is complete, the Plaza will transform the front steps of the Central Library to the front porch of the community." This is what they say about what their Plaza will have: "The Plaza is being reconfigured to create a welcoming front porch and outdoor reading room for Central Library that will be a vibrant community gathering place overlooking Grand Army Plaza featuring: outdoor performance space, cafe and seating area, wireless internet access, retail and information kiosks, new landscaped garden areas, barrier free access." This is fantastic! I like the "barrier free access" terminology - perhaps we could use that in our GAPCO statement. -Caroline