Brooklyn Boulevard Project
Project Statement

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, Fourth Avenue was a gracious and genteel boulevard. It was as wide as it currently is and had much less automotive traffic. Moreover, it had a generously planted central median, narrow vehicle lanes and wide sidewalks. As can be seen in early pictures, it was truly a picturesque and humanly scaled avenue. This changed drastically with the rise of the automobile and Fourth Avenue became the relentless, traffic clogged highway that we know today. Multi-laned, dangerous and divided by brutal concrete medians, it has little or no relationship to the surrounding neighborhood. Similarly, Ninth Street had much of its character diminished by ‘improved’ traffic engineering. While we cannot return to the early twentieth century ideal of the ‘Fourth Avenue Boulevard’, I believe we can recapture its most important quality- streets are not only meant for automotive transportation but should be truly humane places to live, work and enjoy.

My project seeks to create a new form of boulevard on both Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street. These two streets will have integrated transportation systems that give generous space to pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, trucks and cars. Green space will be threaded throughout the site and will be anchored by two small plazas located at the intersection of Fourth and Ninth. Bioswales, check dams and rain gardens will collect runoff and add interest to the streetscape.
The design also allows for easy access to both above and below-ground transportation. Bus Rapid Transit Systems- designated lanes and stations for buses that allow for quicker movement- will be on both Fourth Avenue and on Ninth Street. Smaller car lanes and bright road-striping will slow car traffic and encourage people to use mass transportation. This new boulevard system will foster a sense of place and allow for New Yorkers to once again take full advantage of their long neglected streetscape.