SXSW 2019

Reimagining Public Spaces with Private Dollars

Description:

Urban parks and public spaces are often underused and under-appreciated. NYC-based park designer Dan Biederman will draw on his experience transforming Midtown Manhattan's Bryant Park from a crime-infested open-air drug market to one of the nation’s great outdoor community centers. His innovative model used private management and funding but maintained public ownership, so that Bryant Park could be a place for all New Yorkers. He will use visuals to show how he re-imagined the park through smart design, beautification, event programming, and other tactics.


Other Resources / Information


Takeaways

  1. Successful cities must offer more than just economic opportunity; they must offer all their citizens vibrant, safe, varied public spaces.
  2. Great public spaces raise nearby land values. Asking landowners to contribute to those spaces opens up new funding-and saves the public money.
  3. The most successful parks have smart and low-cost design, varied programming, and beautifully maintained grounds.

Speakers


Organizer

Dean Ball, Deputy Director, State and Local Policy, Manhattan Institute


Meta Information:

  • Event: SXSW
  • Format: Solo
  • Track: Cities, Government & Politics
  • Track 2
  • Level: Beginner


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