During Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, New York made enormous progress toward making the city more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. Broadway was the site of the city’s first “microplaza,” a pilot that pedestrianized portions of the busy roadway, which became permanent last year with a formal plaza design by Snøhetta.
This bike ride down Broadway, from Times Square to Union Square, will be led by some of the leaders from the NYC Department of Transportation. They will discuss their urban design and arts programs, and how their work considers traffic patterns and impact on commerce, as well as their ambitions for more protected bike lanes, street furniture, commissioned art, plantings, and pocket plazas. Along the way, leaders from the Times Square Business Improvement District and the Madison Park and Union Square Park conservancies will meet us to discuss their roles as stewards of neighboring microplazas. Sign up for this tour at conferenceonarchitecture.com.