Times Square stakeholders have begun to raise the specter of "too much of a good thing," as the crowds flocking to Times Square threaten to squeeze the life out of the place.
"The Crossroads of the World has never been more popular. And that is becoming a problem," reports Charles V. Bagli. There is a lot of evidence that Times Square is more popular and, economically at least, more successful than ever. Retail rents are second only to Fifth Avenue, and Broadway shows set a record for attendance last year.
But according to Bagli, "[the] same reason that retailers and advertisers lust after a Times Square location is the same reason that others now find it unbearable: the crowds." In fact, "[few] landlords are willing to talk about the issue [of crowding] publicly for fear of turning their concerns into reality. But companies are dealing with the problem in small and large ways." Such measures include adding amenities in the building so employees don't have to leave and generally never setting foot in Times Square.
Bagli notes that since 1996, the number of tourists visiting Times Square has doubled to an estimated 40 million. Figuring prominently in the surge, according to Bagli, was the pedestrian friendly makeover Times Square received in 2009. After the city closed a stretch of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets, "the number of pedestrians in Times Square has jumped to as high as 480,000 a day, from about 350,000 before 2009."
Read the full story: Times Square’s Crushing Success Raises Questions About Its Future
Saving Lives: Including Sidewalk Bollards in Street Design
Countless lives were likely saved by a strategically placed bollard on W. 45th Ave. which stopped a motorist who had driven three blocks on city sidewalks, mowing-down as many pedestrians as possible, from entering the Times Square pedestrian plaza.
Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street
In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.
Counting Foot Traffic in Times Square
The BBC talks with some of the people involved with counting pedestrians in New York City's Times Square. Since being closed off to cars, foot traffic has greatly increased.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority