New York, NY
2021-2022
Reimagining Public Space
Governance and Programming
in Commercial Districts.
The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated, more than ever before, the unique and key role that public spaces in commercial corridors play in generating foot traffic and drawing a diverse spectrum of customer segments for businesses.
Design Trust for Public Space partnered with the New York City Department of Small Business Services on Neighborhood Commons: Plazas, Sidewalks & Beyond to assess how public spaces in commercial corridors are managed and programmed to support this multitude of uses. At a time when so many regulations were changing by the day, this was an opportunity to explore these challenges, to
think outside of the box, and to recommend ways to improve the current model of public space governance and lower barriers to placemaking, particularly in underserved communities. Think Place Agency Principal, Nur Asri, authored a citywide policy brief for the new Mayoral Administration and supported the design of 2 pilot activations in June 2022. The policy brief included several recommendations to enhance the regulatory framework for mobile vending that would increase small business exposure to new consumer markets and has led to the appointment of the city’s first-ever chief public realm officer.