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Q&A
Open space design in the new Western Rail Yards plan
0:51:27
·
85 sec
Council Member Bottcher questions Jeff Blau about the changes in open space design from the 2009 plan to the current proposal. Blau defends the new design as superior to the previous plan.
- The new plan features a 5.6-acre contiguous public park
- The park includes areas for different uses such as playgrounds, lawn areas, and benches
- Blau claims the new design retains the benefits of the old plan while being 'far superior'
- The size of the new park is compared to Bryant Park for scale reference
Erik D. Bottcher
0:51:27
I want to talk about the open space.
0:51:32
The open space in the 02/2009 plan was designed painstakingly designed with the community board and other stakeholders over a long period of time And it involved smaller development sites with green space integrated between the buildings.
0:51:55
Why doesn't this plan follow that same general site plan and those public space principles?
Jeff Blau
0:52:05
So we believe that this plan is a far superior public open space plan with a 5.6 acre contiguous public park which does have areas separated to create pockets for different uses.
0:52:19
Some have playgrounds.
0:52:20
Some have lawn areas.
0:52:22
Some have benches for sitting or meadows.
0:52:26
So it does retain the feel of separate areas but have the benefit of a contiguous 5.6 acre park that's essentially bigger than or similar in size to Bryant Park, just to give a sense of the scale here.
0:52:43
Something that hasn't been created in New York City for decades.
0:52:47
We think this retains the benefits of the old plan but is actually far superior.