Proposed Land Use
2025
Overview
Housing
Public5SPC is a precedent initiative that aims to transform an archetypical city plot into an exemplar of participatory planning, climate readiness, safety, housing needs and community integration.
We are engaging stakeholder groups on a plan to holistically design the lot in a way that has never been done before, accounting for highly diverse members of a micro community.
Current Conditions
Proposal B1
Proposal B2
Jane Jacobs, a pioneer of civic preservation and rebeautification, outlined at three pillars of good park in her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.
"In city districts that are lively and have considerable local commerce, people are using the streets all the time; and although many of these people may not be residents, they all use the streets as though they are 'locals.' Their eyes help safety just as the eyes of residents do." (F)
“The diversity, the choice, the fact that people can live in ways of their own choosing... these are the reasons why we need cities. This is the reason why a great city, whether old or new, must never be mistaken for a blank slate, a clean canvas on which a new pattern may be drawn.” (F)
"Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody." (F)
Housing Potential
High Performance,
Community-Integrated
Affordable Housing.
A 7-story housing building with a 2,025 sq ft park can potentially offer 38 – 50 affordable units, amenities, green space, and solar energy savings. (F)
50
17.5k
680 sqft
2
2.2k
20
Involving the right team in this precedent-setting rebeautification initiative unlocks limitless opportunities for transformative urban renewal.
Public Space
A 2,025 sqft park can provide greenspace, community space, increased carbon absorption, improved air quality and better stormwater management. (F)
10
12 lbs
4 aqi
3ºF
15 in
130 lbs
Incorporating inventive use of materials can create a low-cost park that maximizes sustainability and measured community engagement. The Career School can maintain closed management of the park on weekdays as a potential response to safety concerns.
Read About the Subterranean Parking Concept
A cost-effective, two-level subterranean parking garage can be built beneath the park and support 200+ electric vehicle charging stations and 400 cars, including emergency and education vehicles. With entrances on 4th Street and exits on 5th, estimated costs range from $5 to $10 million, with 2-3 years to complete. Partial privatization could fund the project through space rental, making it a financially viable solution and a potentially smart use of precious Manhattan space.
Our proposal aims to remain flexible, with the aim of serving a broad range of users, providing greenspace and a place for the community to connect in measure.
- Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Random House, 1961, Chapter 2: "The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety", p. 35.
- Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Random House, 1961, Chapter 10: "The Need for Aged Buildings", p. 232.
- Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Random House, 1961, Chapter 22: "The Kind of Problem a City Is", p. 238.
- Statistics and claims on this page are wholly based on internal research and subject to errors.
- Statistics and claims on this page are wholly based on internal research and subject to errors.