Lower Manhattan is the third-largest central business district in Americaand one of the oldest and densest areas in New York City. It is also the City’s fastest growing residential neighborhood. As such, it contains someof the highest levels of pedestrian, transit, and vehicular activity in America. Since September 11th, redevelopment has dramatically transformed the area into a vibrant 24/7 live-work-visit community. The area’s tall buildings, dense land use, quantity of tourist destinations, and narrow streets help create a sense of place, but they also result in high congestion, friction between vehicles and pedestrians, dark streets with little natural light, and little dedicated green space. Because of this, its historic street system must serve a dual purpose – streets that move vehicles and pedestrians and also serve as the majority of public space. The changes in Lower Manhattan present the City with an unprecedented opportunity to create a more livable and environmentally sustainable neighborhood by reducingtraffic, managing placard parking, optimizing delivery access while giving residents and employees better, greener options. Consequently, the City is focused on finding new ways to manage competing demands of different uses for the limited street space. Improving the management of these streetsis paramount to improving the quality of the public space and speeding Lower Manhattan’s revitalization. This paper discusses the necessity for anddevelopment of a street management framework that will help guide the City in meeting the transportation and public realm needs of Lower Manhattan’s residents, employees, tourists, and businesses.
Abstract