COMPLETE VIDEO – Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation

On October 9, 2018, New York Law School hosted New Yorkers for Parks for their Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation. The event was kicked off by Joel Steinhaus, Chairman of New Yorkers for Parks, who was introduced by Executive Director Lynn Kelly. Mr. Steinhaus began by welcoming everyone to the second year of Open Space Dialogues, with the focus of this year’s dialogues on parks, open space and the public realm. He … <Read More>


EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT – Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation

About the Event

Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation is the kickoff panel of the 2018-2019 Open Space Dialogues series. Expect an evening of provocative presentations created by New Yorkers for Parks and New York Law School. Leaders of the city’s public realm will share and respond to ideas about the spaces New Yorkers hold in common, answering questions like:

-How can transportation system improvements yield more open spaces?

-What opportunities does a transit … <Read More>


COMPLETE VIDEO – Open Space Dialogues: New Perspectives to Action Event

Watch the complete video from April 10, 2018, on the Open Space Dialogues: From New Perspectives to Action, an evening of provocative presentations and discussion created by New Yorkers for Parks and WXY architecture + urban design. Following events focusing on open space value, design, development, policy, and financing, the panel was comprised by leading parks practitioners, decision-makers, activists, and stakeholders.


NYC Landmarks Law and Regulation of Open Space

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has jurisdiction over both buildings and landscape features on landmarks sites.   But the Commission rarely directly regulates changes to landscape features. For routine landscaping changes and in urban contexts, the landscape features are rarely a concern. In other cases the landscape takes on central importance. This is especially true where there where the existing landscaping and natural land features figure prominently in the beauty and importance of the site. In … <Read More>


Public Access to Public Open Space

New York City routinely permits private property owners to acquire public land without paying for it. Does that shock you? It should! Let me explain how this happened.

In 1961 the Board of Estimate approved a new Zoning Resolution in which the public obtained access to and use of privately-owned open space in exchange for permitting certain owners to build additional floor area inside their building. For four decades people routinely used what became public … <Read More>