Reclaim the space between buildings for people.

The space between the places that people live, work and play has become disproportionally dominated by machines. By cars, trucks and buses, and the infrastructure to support them. Pedestrians have become confined to the edges, teetering on the precipices, narrow shelf-like corridors that line the dangerous main sections of roads.

The roads at this intersection have been constructed in straight lines connecting point A to point B. While this is efficient, it also encourages speeding. Higher speeds reduce control, reaction time and make roads even more dangerous for pedestrians.

One way of controlling speed is to introduce turns. This is a simple method familiar to anyone who has ever skied or skateboarded. While skiing straight down a mountain may be efficient, itÕs impossible to control speed. Making turns naturally checks speed and helps maintain control.

A further benefit of this approach is that it frees the sidewalks from being straight narrow utilitarian corridors, and opens them up into organically changing spaces. People might walk in straight lines from point A to point B, but they also may stop and talk, congregate in groups, or walk hand in hand. A public outdoor space should free the people of the community to use it naturally, and not confine or limit that activity.

Parking along the side of the street is another wall that defines and confines the present sidewalk situation. We would tear down that wall by eliminating on-street parking and replacing it with head-in parking, spaced at intervals along the street. This will reduce people walking into the street to access cars and trucks, helping to more clearly define where people walk and where they drive.

A second floor open balcony, adjacent to and accessed from the elevated subway station, adds a further natural congregating space. The location overlooking the intersection makes it an ideal meeting place, social gathering area, or people watching space.