Public Space

In existence for just a few weeks now, the pedestrianized Corona Plaza has the makings of a livable streets success story. Check out this time-lapse video from DOT depicting the evolution of a new community space.

DOT went before Queens Community Board 1 on Tuesday to propose a pedestrian plaza at the intersection of 30th Avenue, 33rd Street and Newtown Avenue. The audience at the meeting was split on the proposal, but CB members were not: They voted against the plaza 25 to 7.

The intersection of 30th Avenue, 33rd Street and Newtown Avenue was the site of DOT's first-ever one-day demonstration plaza. Will it get a permanent public space enhancement?

Something special is happening in Corona, Queens. Last week, Streetfilms visited Corona Plaza -- the city's newest car-free space, next to the 103rd Street stop on the 7 train -- and found it already packed with families, children, and shoppers.

It hasn't been open a week yet, and Corona Plaza is already a popular gathering spot. In the next few days, Streetfilms will be posting a video about the new plaza featuring Council Member Julissa Ferreras. In the meantime, enjoy some more photos of the plaza getting lots of use over the weekend courtesy of Clarence. "It was almost like a mini Summer Streets," he said.

Facing a small but influential opposition to a permanent plaza in Astoria, DOT installed a one-day demonstration on Saturday to give neighborhood residents a sneak peak of how the street could be transformed. The demo, a first for DOT, was installed before Queens Community Board 1 votes on the proposal on September 11.

A pedestrian plaza that garnered support from local business, a unanimous vote at Queens Community Board 4 in June, and the backing of City Council Member Julissa Ferreras is being installed in Corona. The project is on the site of a service road that functioned as a parking lot for moving trucks. Now the space is host to planters and movable chairs, where people are already relaxing. Installation should be complete in the next few days. Later this year, DOT will meet with community members to evaluate the plaza. If the project gets a thumbs-up, DOT will begin working on a long-term redesign.

Business owners in Jackson Heights have done more than just take over maintenance of the plaza on 37th Road. They've rechristened it "Diversity Plaza," and they staged a community celebration that concluded on Monday to mark Eid-ul-Fitr, the breaking of fast at the end of Muslim holy month Ramadan. It seems the plaza was anything but empty that night. Eid Mubarak to all!

For nine months now, Philadelphia's awesome new public space "The Porch" has been flying under the nation's livable streets radar.