Reimagining the Future of NYC Streets

For a century, the car has reigned supreme in the planning of our city streets and public spaces. However, in a matter of months, the 100-year assumption that streets are for cars has begun to change. The tragedy of COVID-19, months of quarantine, and the economic crisis demanded that more space be made for New Yorkers to go about their lives safely, and in doing so, changed the way we think about our streets. 

New York City has taken tremendous strides to bring the city into the 21st Century by reprioritizing its streets around the pedestrians and businesses that make New York so great. From the outset, the Meatpacking District advocated for a use change of our streets to create more safe space for pedestrians (translation: workers, shoppers, residents, and visitors) and bring dining outside. 

Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

In our role as stewards of this vibrant neighborhood, the Meatpacking District is excited to push these ideas further by hosting Future Streets: a three-day activation showcasing what the future of New York City’s streets could look like. Developed in partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIANY), the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA-NY), and the American Planning Association (APA- NYM) along with support from the City of New York, the project will explore how the streets of the Meatpacking District can be reoriented around the pedestrian.

The event will build on the existing Open Streets: Restaurants program to showcase the range of opportunities available to the neighborhood once the street is prioritized for people. The program will include new public seating, green space, and opportunities for public art. 

With the Future Streets project, we are also excited to announce our work towards the development of the Meatpacking District as a pedestrian-oriented district (POD), and invite the neighborhood to continue following this project along as we work to deliver a plan for a new vision and urban experience to the City. 

Meatpacking’s Future Street event takes place Sept. 11-13 on Little West 12th Street. Join us!

Rendering of Future Streets installation plan