Project for Public Spaces

Redesign of Public Park Area

Funded by W R Grace

The large, lovely park behind the New York Public Library at 42nd Street was a popular spot for drug dealing. The W R Grace corporation, whose headquarters also faced onto the park, funded an effort to make the space more attractive to the general public.

As my graduate project for the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU, I directed a media crew for the Project for Public spaces research team in the spring of 1981. We interviewed a broad range of visitors throughout the Bryant Park area.

The Project for Public Spaces was brought in to perform research on the problem and propose a redesign of the park layout.

Our interview records and advocacy document helped both the designers and their sponsors to better understand the actual social dynamics of the space.

Videotape interviews documenting usage of a Public Space by multiple persona profiles.

Bryant Park was totally re-engineered in 1983 and is now a successful and popular public space in the center of Manhattan.

“John and I worked on a '81 video-interview series that became key in the renewal of one of NYC's prime assets, Bryant Park at 5th Ave & 42nd. It was a physical and social mess at the time, and the choice was between rennovation by police action or by creative social and physical planning. John pushed for the latter, and the information we collected resulted in the vibrant public space seen today.”
Anne McKay, Community Manager, Consumers Union

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Community documentary Video, Portable video verite, interviews, post-production editing