wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Andrew from Midtown April 15, 2009 - 10:06AM

  I find 125th street to be one of the most public spaces in the city. There is commerce, idea exchange, civic institution, good people watching. I actually think the designed "public" spaces often fail. Does it just come down to commerce in the end? re:Greek agora

  
  
• [2] Cat from Yorkville April 15, 2009 - 10:17AM

  Hello! This is for Mr. Van Valkenburg

  I'd like to ask about the public park space between Second & Third Avenue and 92nd & 93rd Streets.

  It's a very important neighborhood bit of space and relief for little children and their nannies and moms; for teens; for seniors; and for anyone who wants to just under a bank of trees for a little while.

  It's a tiny park in the middle of a block; with sports areas. But now I hear someone wants to build on it.

  What can we do? Thank you.

  
  
• [3] jason from williamsburg from williamsburg April 15, 2009 - 10:37AM

  I was handed a $200 ticket for dropping my dogs leash so my dog could play on the sidewalk with another dog right in front of me. How can the city justify tickets this high in these economic times when the public spaces for dogs is so incredibly limited?

  Areas like williamsburg whose populations have soared in recent years have not met the growing dog population. the park on north 7th and kent avenue was desperately needed, but dogs are not allowed inside. Why is this the case? What is the city doing to address this need for public spaces for dogs?

  
  
• [4] Noah Levine from East Village, New York April 15, 2009 - 10:47AM

  Hi, I have question is for Mr. Van Valkenburg,

  Some of the proposed waterfront parks around NYC have been criticized for creating private enclaves for the residential developments that reside within.

  If the Brooklyn Bridge Park has a residential development component to it, How do you intend intend to promote access to the general public. Also, what kinds of year round programming to you envision for the public space to draw visitors to the park

  Thanks!

  
  
• [5] Liz from Upper East Side April 15, 2009 - 10:52AM

  I think it's a tragedy that the Union Square redesign includes a private restaurant. There has been a lot of public protest against it led by Billy Talen, who is running for mayor, but our elected officials have not listened.

  
  
• [6] Hugh from Brookyn April 15, 2009 - 10:54AM

  There's a beach to splash around at on the East River?! Surely that water is poisonous! Newtown Creek empties into the East River.

  
  
• [7] ken from chino April 15, 2009 - 10:55AM

  How about the proposed Shake Shack in Union Square?

  
  
• [8] Michael Miller from Prospect Heights Brooklyn April 15, 2009 - 10:56AM

  I'd like to hear your guest talk about the limits on the use of public spaces. I can never convince skateboarders,for example, that their use of public parks that aren't designated skate parks actually limits availability for other users such as dog walkers and strollers. And what about quite? How can that be enforced and should it?

  
  
• [9] Michael D. D. White from Brooklyn Heights April 15, 2009 - 10:57AM

  When Mr. Goldberger refers to “the streets of New York themselves” as being one of our greatest public space assets, it reminds us that, sadly, the Bloomberg administration is planning to shut down streets, avenues and sidewalks. For instance, streets in downtown Brooklyn will be eliminated as well as streets and avenues in the planned Atlantic Yards footprint. It is unnecessary and unfortunate. One of the glories of the Wall Street area is that the original unique street grid with all its winding paths is historically protected.

  Michael D. D. White

  Noticing New York

  http://noticingnewyork.blogspot.com/

  
  
• [10] Rodrigo suarez from Manhattan April 15, 2009 - 10:57AM

  Two of the best public spaces in the city are discussed at length in W. Whyte's amazing documentary "the social life of small urban spaces": the plaza in front of the seagram building and the small plaza on 53rd between Madison and 5th.

  
  
• [11] erica from nyc April 15, 2009 - 10:58AM

  What's going on with the proposed Shake Shack in Union Square? It's already there?!

  How urban parks are good for the city and the environment - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzhQIjv-UI4

  
  
• [12] Don from Williamsburg, Brooklyn April 15, 2009 - 11:11AM

  Favorite Public spaces are Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City because it incorporated the local character of Long Island City.

  I also like the Conservatory Garden in upper Central Park because it is an intimate space with more plants than hardscape.

  
  
• [13] Phil from Queens April 15, 2009 - 11:19AM

  Why aren't the NYC liberal masses crying out for the WTC site, the west side rail site and even the 8-9 acres just south of the UN to be immediately set aside for park land... after all there's no money or demand for development and going green will save the world!!! Won't it??? Even if it will allow just one crummy commie kid to breath easier as he leaves the luxury condo or co-op of his or her misguided yuppie scum urban dwelling parents. Perhaps Bloomie can call the Bama and he can nationalize the land. Let's pray that our masters give us more green spaces. That is while we are still allowed to pray. (c) 2009 by Propaganda Parodies. All Rights Reserved.

  
  
• [14] mc from Brooklyn April 15, 2009 - 11:40AM

  Favorite city public space: For me it's Prospect Park, hands down. I love the Nethermead, the carousel which has a working carousel music roll, the zoo, the baseball fields, the drumming circle the rambling non-square shape. I have raised my kids in that park. I will always feel an emotional connection to it.

  
  
• [15] Carlo from Brooklyn NY April 15, 2009 - 11:53AM

  I used to live on 103rd and Riverside, and love Riverside Park - being near water is such an expansive experience - another thing about that park was the way the cross streets sort of filtered people into the park, creating small local areas - I now live in Carroll Gardens and love the Red Hook waterfront - will Brooklyn Bridge Park incorporate that sort of filtering from local streets, and how will the existing Brooklyn Heights promenade connect to the new park?

  
  
• [16] Tal Barzilai from Pleasantville, NY April 22, 2009 - 03:18PM

  I find it an irony when architect critics like Paul Goldberger say how important public space are yet they condemn the one that the WTC had and demand that the street grid should be restored there? I never heard him give opposition to other superblocks that were being made after 9/11 such as what was going on at Wall Street or even the idea for the Atlantic Yards complex. The only difference about the WTC superblock compared to all others is that most of the streets cut off by it except for Greenwich and Fulton Streets where mainly short alleys that were going to be cut off anyway. Many were opposed to having streets run throught the WTC site especially in the claim that it would take away a major public space, while others felt that it would open the site to possible vehicle bombs in the future hence the concrete bunker planned for the Freedom Tower if that does end up getting built. For those who have claimed that the WTC plaza was barren and windswept, many of them were showing pictures of it from days when the weather was bad just to promote that idea. It might be partially true, but it was rennovated, and for what it didn't have on the ground, it had an underground mall complete with retail. Many of lower Manhattan's free concerts were held on that plaza before 9/11. Unlike public space that was publicly owned or passanger gangways, that plaza was open all the time to allow for people to cut through it rather than walking all the way around for shortcuts even late at night. I can even remember when Mr. Goldberger himself said in the New York Times Magazine just shortly after the attacks that the plaza was divider for the neighborhoods surrounding it, but many residents, workers, and tourists saw it as a median point like the four states corner that Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado has where they all meet.