Lentis/The Transformation of Times Square

Introduction

Established in 1904, Times Square has been a center within New York City for over a century. Around 360,000 people visit Times Square per day making it one of the largest pedestrian hubs of the city. The area has seen several periods of economic and artistic growth, as well as periods of decline, specifically from the 1940's-1990's due to increasing crime and the drug trade. The most important transformation occurred between 2012 and 2016 when sections of the streets were taken back for pedestrian use, creating a more vibrant, safe, and inviting space.

Historical Background

New York Times building mid construction, 1903.

In the 1880's Long Acre Square, now Times Square, was just a large open courtyard home to the Vanderbilt's American Horse Exchange and surrounded by simple apartments. Due to electricity, the square began to transform into a bustling city center with several forms of public transportation flowing through it, including the Interborough Rapid Transit system. After its renaming by Mayor McClellan in 1904, the New York Times completed their headquarters building at the front of the plaza, which changed the surrounding area into a pedestrian center. The physical appearance of Times Square as well as societies perception of the space changed over the years as technology advanced, including the rise and fall of the trolley, and the bus and subway system we see today. The decline of the square began during the Great Depression which stunted further development. Theaters struggled to make money, so lower forms of entertainment such as burlesque shows and cheap restaurants took their places. When the trolley retired in 1957, Times Square became a car dominated space, pushing out pedestrians. In the 1960's, prostitution, drug trade, and alcoholism became rampant throughout the square and area around it. Times Square had the most felony and crime complaints recorded in the city by the late 70's. With the introduction of crack cocaine to Times Square in 1986, crime rates spiked and continued to rise into the 1990's. Although Times Square faced many hardships, it remained, and still remains, a symbol of New York City due to its "chaotic action, dense and diverse pedestrian, and continuous role as the key entertainment district".

Modern Times Square

1992-2012 Transformation

The unsafe and unenjoyable area that existed by the 1990's prompted the formation of the Times Square Alliance (TSA) (formally known as the Times Square Business Improvement District). This alliance was made up of city government and local businesses who were devoted to improving the quality of business and general experience for those in Times Square. Currently, their site emphasizes the preservation of the energy and creativity that have made Times Square into an "icon of entertainment, culture, and urban life for over a century". Over the first two decades of the TSA's existence, they implemented a variety of changes in order to create the long-lasting and pervasive perception alteration that has occurred. These changes focused on three main areas of improvement:

Clean

The first focus was placed upon the cleanliness of Times Square. To do so, the TSA partnered with Project Renewal to employ people recovering from substance-abuse in its street cleaning initiative. This was an effective way of cleaning the area while also offering job training and permanent employment of people who were looking for a new start. This partnership has acted as a model for other urban revitalization organizations throughout the country.

Safe

To address root causes of crimes occurring in the Times Square area, the TSA supported the Midtown Community Court in their efforts to rehabilitate those committing quality-of-life offenses. The TSA also commissioned a study to show that the large concentration of adult use businesses (not the sheer existence of them) was leading to increased illegal activity. The NYC Department of City Planning replicated this and used the results to pass a citywide rezoning to prohibit the concentration of these adult businesses in one area.

Homelessness was another problem that plagued Times Square. For the safety of this population as well as pedestrians, the TSA worked with the social service community and acquired a federal innovation grant to place the homeless into safe, permanent housing. The TSA also supported Breaking Ground, an organization that focuses on providing affordable and supportive housing resources.

Friendly & Experiential

The TKTS red stairs in 2009, one year after they were completed.

The TSA wanted to focus on creating an engaging space for people to enjoy culture and art. In 1993, the TSA refurbished the Times Square Ball to provide an exciting event that was shared globally. The Broadway League worked with the TSA to organize the first Broadway on Broadway concert. This showed the world that Times Square was a safe space for theatergoers and their family members. The TSA developed a public art program, Times Square Arts to provide cutting-edge, modern art exhibitions in the area. In 2008, the TKTS booth was redesigned as the iconic red stairs for people to sit and enjoy Times Square.

2012-2016 Physical Transformation

Green Light for Midtown

Following an increase in traffic accidents in 2009, the TSA decided to redesign "the bowtie" intersection surrounding Times Square into a piazza that allowed for safer and easier foot traffic as part of their Green Light for Midtown Project. This three-phase project was completed with Snøhetta and the NYC Department of Transportation "to enhance mobility in West Midtown by simplifying intersections, removing conflicts and providing additional traffic and pedestrian capacity where needed." The project shut down 5 blocks of Broadway Street to vehicular traffic, which allowed for the addition of 110,000 square feet of pedestrian space, ten new 50-foot-long granite benches, and specific zones for pedestrian activity. These changes decreased pedestrian injuries by 40%, vehicular accidents by 15%, and overall crime by 20%.

Tactical Urbanism

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Art Installation by Jason Peters using plastic lawn chairs placed in Times Square by the Times Square Alliance and New York Department of Transportation.

The closing off of Broadway was primarily achieved through the use of tactical urbanism orchestrated by the Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. Tactical Urbanism is the legal redesign of public spaces for aesthetic appeal, which can be used to motivate change and get community members more involved. In collaboration with the TSA, 376 plastic lawn chairs were placed on the closed off roads to provide pedestrians with a place to sit. The lawn chairs were initially marketed as temporary, but after positive feedback from the community the pedestrian plaza was made permanent. The lawn chairs were repurposed into an art installation by sculptor Jason Peters to make way for more permanent seating.

Backlash

Although the Green Light for Midtown Project is now seen as a huge success there was significant backlash at the time, specifically regarding the closing of a portion of Broadway to cars. Many cab drivers worried that it would not improve traffic conditions and would detract from their business. One cab driver interviewed for an article about the shutdown said, "I think it's really stupid. It's going to mess up all the traffic in midtown." There was also resistance from some New York City residents whole believed the chairs were an eyesore, cheap, and promoted laziness. Andrea Peyser, a writer for the New York Post, wrote a scathing review, stating "IN THE annals of stupid ideas, this has got to be the worst. Ever." Even though there was some very vocal opposition, the New York Department of Transformation found that 74% of New Yorkers surveyed as part of their Green Light for Midtown evaluation agreed that Times Square has improved dramatically.

Future Times Square

Due to the success of the 2012-2016 transformation in reinvigorating Times Square, the TSA is constantly looking to the future to update Times Square to meet the needs of New Yorkers and tourists. In recent years there has been a shift towards "entertainment retail" or "retailtainment", which is the concept of using retail spaces to entertain customers and create a memorable experience through engaging visuals, activities, and sounds. An example of this new change can be seen in the proposed TSX Broadway building, which is planned to be completed in 2022. This 46 floor building at the corner of 47th street and Broadway will combine experimental retail space, a built in stage on the exterior for performances, a renovated 105 year old historic theater, restaurants, integrated signage, and a hotel. The goal of this project is to reimage how real estate in Times Square can be used to create an engaging environment that celebrates Times Square's past while introducing new and exciting features that will increase use of the spaces provided.

“We are always reinventing and moving into our new reality” - Tom Harris, acting president and COO of the Times Square Alliance.

Conclusions

Throughout the decades Times Square has undergone many physical changes that effected the use of the space and the way it was perceived by society. With the help of the city government, the space was cleaned and revitalized between 1992 and 2012 to make it safe again. This is a primary example of how government policy and action can effect the physical appearance of an area and therefore its perception by society. The square was further transformed between 2012 and 2016 to create a more welcoming space and gave access back to the pedestrians and visitors. Physical changes such as adding art exhibits and closing off roads allow pedestrians to feel more comfortable in the space and like they belong. It also allows the city to celebrate its diversity and creativity in a communal place where all can freely enjoy it. The transformation of Times Square is a critical example of the intersection between technology and how it effects social attitudes. Physical changes to the city center changed the way people acted and felt about the space. Understanding this relationship is a crucial tool in applying the success of the Times Square transformation project to other areas of engineering.

Further Considerations

• How has the development of transportation over time impacted the growth of Times Square?
• How has choice architecture played a role in the transformation of Times Square?
• How has COVID-19 impacted the use of space in Times Square?
• How did the Great Depression cause the decline of Times Square?