Open Plans Report Calls For Staff, Budget Allocations for Well-Managed, Equitable Public Realm

NEW YORK, NY–Today Open Plans released a report, Framework for the Future: Managing Public Space in New York City for Equity, Safety, and Joy, recommending new City staff and budget allocations to streamline public space creation and management in every neighborhood. Citing the economic, health, and social benefits of public space, Open Plans calls on the City to strategically invest in the public realm under a first-ever framework for managing and expanding people-centered public spaces.

The report reveals a harmful dichotomy: despite the crucial role local public spaces play in community, safety, and economic growth, the City does not have an adequate or equitable strategy to cultivate them. Current management is fractured, siloed, and overly bureaucratic, a narrow approach that forfeits the proven economic boosts of public space, thousands of potential jobs, and the chance for more vibrant neighborhoods that are welcoming, green, and safe. 

“The City’s big budget projects have transformed commercial corridors, and now it's time to invest money and strategy in a network of local spaces,” said Sara Lind, co-executive director at Open Plans. “Large-scale projects are important, but so are the local spaces that offer a seat on a bench or a tree’s shade; New Yorkers should be able to rely on the City to provide these spaces and keep them well-maintained, safe, and beautiful. We envision a New York City where public spaces are clean, accessible, and abundant. It’s possible, if we create the comprehensive management framework that the City lacks right now.”

Key Findings:

• Economic and Social Benefits: Well-managed public spaces drive economic growth, create thousands of jobs, and enhance public safety. They also play a vital role in improving residents' mental, social, and physical health and fostering a sense of community.

• Current System Flaws: New York City's public space is hampered by inefficiencies, red tape, and an over-reliance on volunteers. The existing model fails to address the growing need for well-maintained, accessible public spaces in all neighborhoods.

• Recommendations for Change:

  • Establish Local Public Space Teams: Create a Public Space Team for each Community District, consisting of a Public Space Facilitator, Coordinator, and a group of Stewards. These teams would oversee the management and development of local public spaces with input from residents.

  • Administrative Reform: Reform the City’s administrative processes to cut red tape and shift the approach to one that recognizes the vital need for people-centered and well-managed local public spaces. This includes creating a Deputy Commissioner for Public Space Management & Creation and enhancing the role of the Chief Public Realm Officer.

  • Empower Existing Partners: Lower administrative barriers for current public space partners and support them as true collaborators in the city’s public space initiatives.

Open Plans’ budgetary analysis shows that the report’s recommendations can be achieved through a $320 million investment, representing less than 0.3% of the current City budget. 

Read the full report Framework for the Future: Managing Public Space in New York City for Equity, Safety, and Joy.

"New Yorker's are hungrier than ever for a safe, accessible, and well-managed public realm. This Framework for the Future report outlines a compelling set of recommendations to ensure that a high-quality and joyful public realm is the norm rather than the exception,” said Mike Lydon, Principle, Street Plans.

"New York City has made significant strides in creating and expanding public spaces over the last ten years. Now, we must focus on strategies for the sustainable management and maintenance of these vital urban assets. This report does just that by providing a critical roadmap to ensure that our diverse public spaces remain vibrant, accessible, and well-preserved for decades to come," said Evan Sweet, AICP Director of Neighborhood Operations and Planning, Meatpacking District Management Association. 

"The timing of this report — at once a reflection into the tenure of a new Public Realm office and a call to action at the turn of covid-era public space programs into policy — cannot be more urgent. A holistic approach to public space management is essential to our city's quality of life; without it, the strain on our public realm is felt from the highest levels of government to your everyday New Yorker. I applaud Open Plans for articulating a solution to the strain,” said Katie Denny Horowitz, Executive Director, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance.

"Every neighborhood deserves high-quality public space. But often, that falls on volunteers, a whole lot of sweat equity and tireless effort to make happen in New York City. Open Plans' report charts a new way—to see public space creation as a holistic process, which would help mend the inequities we see between neighborhoods with resources and those without. We're excited to see these ideas out in the world, and we'll work to make them a reality," said John Surico, Chairperson of the 31st Ave Open Street Collective.

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