DOT Working on Maintenance Initiative to Expand Reach of Plaza Program

DOT's plaza program has brought new public spaces to neighborhoods across the city, and even most City Council members can appreciate that. To ensure that the new plazas don't deteriorate after implementation, the city only installs them if a local partner pledges to maintain the space. Sometimes, finding a maintenance partner can be challenging -- and this is especially the case in less affluent parts of the city.

In an article today celebrating public plazas, Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman mentioned a new program that DOT is developing to provide assistance to communities looking to maintain their plaza space:

Last September, Streetsblog reported from a community board meeting about a proposed plaza in Astoria where DOT said it was developing the program. Details aren't available yet, but it looks like a promising initiative for areas where a well-funded business improvement district or partner isn't there to take on plaza maintenance.