Water Street: Manhattan

Water Street runs between historic

Battery Park and South Street
Seaport.
Lower Manhattans most important
commercial corridor and a centre of
New York Citys maritime activity.

CASE STUDY 1

Water Street: Manhatt

Public Plaza Design

Principles
Open
and
sidewalk

inviting

at

the

1.

Easily seen and read as open to

the public
2. Conveys openness through low
design elements and generous
paths leading into the plaza
3. Visually interesting and contains
seating
Accessible
4.
5.

Enhances pedestrian circulation

Located at the same elevation
as the sidewalk
Provides sense of safety and
security
6. Oriented and visually connected
to the street Well-lit
7. Contains easily accessible paths
for ingress and egress
Provides places to sit
8. Accommodates a variety of well-

CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A ZONING

TEXT AMENDMENT RELATED TO
DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL
STANDARDS FOR PRIVATELY
OWNED PUBLIC PLAZAS
Replace the existing residential plaza
definitions and urban plaza standards
with a single plaza type called the public
plaza.
Revise and update the design
standardsfor public plazas, while ensuring
that substantial architectural flexibility
remains for unique and exciting open space
design.
Streamline and consolidateprovisions
related to open air cafes and kiosks within
plazas, night time closing of plazas, and the
process for modification of plaza design
guidelines.

Water Street: Manhatta

HISTORY

Water Street: Manhattan, source; NYC planning study

1. During the 1950s- concentration of administrative and accounting

activities related to the Financial District
2. late 1950s - Water Street was widened to relieve the traffic congestion,
opening of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
3. The large parcels that resulted from the widening of Water Street
and the adoption of a new Zoning Resolution in 1961 facilitated the
construction of monumental office buildings generously surrounded by
open space.
4. The 1961 zoning allowed developers to construct buildings with more floor

blic Space Distribution along the Street.

Issues of public- private spaces- by analysing the case of Water

Street.

the Study showed that Water Street does not function as a strong north-south
connector for pedestrians.

Opportunities of public- private spacesby analysing the case of Water Street.

All the private-public spaces are in front of
commercial or office buildings which
abetting the streets. The possibilities of
integrating such spaces with city level
pedestrian network will be much easier.

Because of the continuous nature of the public space, they can be making as
more vibrant and active spaces by introducing the retail commercial built
use.

There is too much public with a little pedestrian activity due to the poor sun
light and accessibility.
At the ground level, the distribution of public space is too diffuse to support
active and vibrant street life.
The arcades set ground floor activities back from the street, limiting options
for attractive retail frontage.

Design consideration for

public space

Pedestrian movement emphasized at street

level.

Highlight the special places in the plan, whose

character is public and kept along movement
line and visual corridor to the sea.

Smaller parcelling of development for

incremental development rather than
monolithic large scale requirement.

Use regulation- wholesale establishment,

automobile service, public service
establishment.
Bulk regulations- FAR regulation, mandatory
arcade, limited height of the building.

Landscape

Plantings, such as
trees, perennials,
and groundcover,
can soften a
space and make
it more
welcoming

Visual Icons
Signage, artwork,
interactive
installations, and
other visual
markers help
strengthen the
identity of a
place.

Collaboration
Public space can
serve as a setting
for informal
meetings and
group work.

Design Tools

Visual Icons,
Collaboration, and
Landscape,
Retail.

Retail
Active and
transparent retail
at the ground floor
can increase foot
traffic and draw
people into POPS.

Inferences - case study1.

well-programmed and active open space has a positive
impact on rents, vacancy, and tenant quality in
adjacent real estate. - these impacts range are
highly dependent on the acreage, design, and
programming of the space.
Financial feasibility varies greatly depending on the
cost of the selected design.
extensive retail renovations are not financially
viable over the short term, renovated retail may create
additional value by providing an amenity for adjacent
office space and supporting the rebranding of Water
Street.

Rockefeller centre is the most mature demonstration of

manhattans unspoken theory of simultaneous existence of
different progrms on a single site- Rem Koolhas

A complex of 19 commercial buildings covering

22 acres between 48th and 51th streets.
A large parcel of land was available under a
single private ownership and the plan has
created sufficient profit and initiated growth in
mid town area.

ockefeller Canter, Midtown Manhattan CASE

STUDY 2

Water Street: Manhatt

Public
Accessibility

Subway
entrances
Underground connecting

concourse

Donated public spaces

sunken plaza

Manhattan Street grid

through Rockefeller
centre with pedestrian
promenade

Donated public spaces

Public
Accessibility

The sunken plaza

is the destination, the heart
and main focal point of the
complex.

opens up the basement/

concourse level to the
public.

Later the basement level

became the resilient and
extendable element of the
design since later
development.

Sunken plaza - Movement

Design consideration for public

space

Maintaining a retail character.

Connections and diverse activity pattern in
basement level.
Mixed use format to ensure a stable public realm.
Tree lined street along with continuity in style.

Legislative measures

Restricting certain usage.

Additional plaza bonus and incentives on covered

street connecting buildings.

Encouraging mixed use.

1. Retail commerce- additional FAR will be provided for every
extra retail provided.
2. Residential use for 24hr activity- to encourage the
maximum utilization of existing infrastructure.
. Strict controls on set back.
1. All the buildings (from 38th to 57th )= to be built to the lot
line of avenue and no setback up to 3rd floor is possible.
2. Building on the west side up to 85 floor no setback.
3. Building lobbies on the side the streets or 50 feet behind
the avenue.
.

Terrace garden on the privileged window concept.

1. Roof are to be connected by bridges- create continuous

park with different public activities.

Inferences - case study2.

Good demonstration- single owned real estate

development could be conceived to be a Great
public space as well.

degree of publicness- mixed use , variety,

extendibility, and resilience of the public realm.

The different legislative features and incentive

techniques seem practical and can be carried ahead
and replicated.

Issues of Privately owned

public spaces
Access to and use of the
space is only a privilege, not a
right.
( Tridip banerjee, future of public
spaces, 2001)

You have to pay for

public life
Many of these spaces are closely
monitored by security guards and
closed circuit television cameras.
The space like a "fortress"
environments.
(Mike Davis, 1990)
Photograph from Olympic village
in Stratford