With Appreciation for Guidance From: Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Mayor's Office of Public Realm, NYC Department of Transportation, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, NYC Street Activity Permit Office, Public Housing Community Fund, Street Vendor Project, Union Square Partnership, and Urban Design Forum.
Untaped is made possible by generous support from the New York Community Trust & the NYC Green Fund
The Design Trust for Public Space assembled a coalition of community organizations to propose new public realm management solutions to the new Mamdani Administration. Untaped aims to cut bureaucratic red-tape around public space activation and make it easier for New Yorkers to use their streets, sidewalks, parks, and plazas.
Across New York City, public spaces are increasingly recognized as essential civic infrastructure, places where communities gather, celebrate, heal, organize, exchange culture, and build local economies. Over the past thirty years, the City of New York, community organizations, and dedicated residents have made enormous strides in improving the quality and extent of this public realm, which can include parks, plazas, waterfronts, sidewalks, streets, libraries, and more. This transformation has also expanded the amount of outdoor public programming, whether that's a block party for a few dozen neighbors or a multi-day festival with tens of thousands of attendees.
Today, with budget forecasts showing potential deficits, and with city government prioritizing costly investments like affordable housing, the public realm agenda is facing an important juncture. How can New York City continue to deliver on a visionary public realm that makes city life worthwhile and enjoyable, with limited resources and time to do so? The answer is simple: by cutting red tape, eliminating unnecessary barriers, and unlocking the potential of our public realm partnerships.
Through a year-long research process bringing together public space programmers, city agencies, small businesses, and arts and culture organizations, Untaped has released this report, offering eight tangible ideas to remove the permitting and administrative burdens that make hosting events and programming in public spaces challenging for so many organizations in New York City. This work builds off the knowledge and partnerships cultivated from our Turnout NYC and Neighborhood Commons initiatives.
Download the report at untaped.nyc (interactive website coming soon!)
“Public spaces are vital places where New Yorkers feel connected to their city and each other. Community members deserve clarity and agency in deciding how they can leverage these spaces to benefit their neighborhoods. Untaped is a call to action to city leaders to dismantle the status quo and open up public spaces for all.”
The eight Untaped policy recommendations at glance:
1. Centralized Public Programming in the Office of the Mayor
2. Tiered and Performance-Based Qualification Rubric
3. Public Realm Evaluation Platform
4. Targeted UX/UI Refinements on Permitting Software and Web Resources
5. One-Stop Shop for Planning & Permitting
6. “Space Stager” Public Space Digital Map
7. Seasonal Activation Parnter Permit
8. NYC Public Space Stewardship Fund