New York City’s popular urban spaces are flooded with people, especially on weekends when more tourists are included. As one moves away from some of these popular urban spaces one begins to have a different feel of the pedestrian density. Times Square’s heavy congestion, for example, becomes less dense compare to 43rd St and 10th Ave. It is apparent for the case of Times Square that the highly commercialized area of this part of the city plays a big part in the difference in activity. Thinking about the city’s popular urban spaces in general compared to other parts of the city with less activity or even other cities’ urban spaces there can be even a much bigger contrast in the way pedestrians populate the respective urban spaces. With the kind of city experience spaces like Times Square provides one cannot help but wonder what attracts people to the city, especially in these massive numbers. This question becomes more interesting when the not-so-positive perception of the general public, including city residents, is taken into consideration. In Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, which was published as a result of William Whyte’s observations of urban spaces in New York City, he (Whyte) helps us appreciate the complexity of this question:
What attract people most, it would appear, is other people. If I belabor the
point, it is because many urban spaces are being designed as though the
opposite were true, and that what people liked best were the places they
stay away from. People often do talk along such lines; this is why
point, it is because many urban spaces are being designed as though the
opposite were true, and that what people liked best were the places they
stay away from. People often do talk along such lines; this is why
their responses to questionnaires can be so misleading. How many people
would say they like to sit in the middle of the crowd? Instead they speak of
getting away from it all, and use terms like "escape," "oasis," "retreat." What
people do, however, reveals a different priority.
would say they like to sit in the middle of the crowd? Instead they speak of
getting away from it all, and use terms like "escape," "oasis," "retreat." What
people do, however, reveals a different priority.
(p. 19)
Taking a closer look at how safe people feel in the city, how clean the city is, the kind of access people have to the city (transit) and how pedestrian friendly the city is, and how commercialized the city is – shopping, entertainment, etc. will enable us to have a better understanding of why so many people head for these urban destinations.
First of all, when it comes to safety, New York City, once known to be a city with a high crime rate, has come a long way, especially around the popular urban areas. One of the points that I remember from our City College Professor guide at Times Square a couple of weeks ago is the number he mentioned regarding the city’s police department – fifty thousand – which is arguably more than that of any other city. Of course, this is a point you cannot miss in the city of New York with the police presence in most of the urban spaces, like Times Square, being heavy during the day time when some of these places are densely populated with pedestrians. One might think here you have all these polices officers, both in vehicle and foot patrol and when you look around most of what you see is pedestrians many of whom are just enjoying the space, taking pictures and without many incidences of violence or disorder. The heavy police presence, however, might be one of the reasons the pedestrians, who come from not only different parts of the country but also from abroad feel safe within and socialize with a big crowd of strangers. Jane Jacobs, a vocal advocate in matters concerning urban design and planning, identifies this street safety issue as a responsibility of the city in The Death and Life of Great American Cities:
To keep the city safe is a fundamental task of a city's streets and its sidewalks.
This task is totally unlike any service that sidewalks and streets in little towns
or true suburbs are called upon to do. Great cities are not like towns, only
larger. They are not like suburbs, only denser. They differ from towns and
suburbs in basic ways, and one of these is that cities are, by definition, full of
This task is totally unlike any service that sidewalks and streets in little towns
or true suburbs are called upon to do. Great cities are not like towns, only
larger. They are not like suburbs, only denser. They differ from towns and
suburbs in basic ways, and one of these is that cities are, by definition, full of
strangers. To any one person, strangers are far more common in big cities
than acquaintances. More common, not just in places of public assembly, but
more common at a man’s own door step.
than acquaintances. More common, not just in places of public assembly, but
more common at a man’s own door step.
…. The bedrock attribute of a successful city district is that a person must feel
personally safe and secure on the street among all these strangers. He must
not feel automatically menaced by them. A city district that fails in this respect
also does badly in other ways and lays up for itself and for its city at large,
mountain and mountain of trouble.
personally safe and secure on the street among all these strangers. He must
not feel automatically menaced by them. A city district that fails in this respect
also does badly in other ways and lays up for itself and for its city at large,
mountain and mountain of trouble.
(p. 30)
To a degree, safety here may have more to do with how the people feel about it. How clean some of these New York urban spaces are can also be easily taken for granted the main reason being one does not often see significant amount of trash that is not being attended to by the sanitary workers. The city does a great job at keeping the place clean and presentable.
While visiting a place like Times Square, another thing that might not come to mind is how easy and affordable access to the city is. I have always thought of transit in the city as one of the best worldwide. Travel anywhere within the city – all five boroughs – and it cost you about $2 with the city transit, the subway to be more specific, and it can cost as much as fifty times with other means of transportation including the yellow cab taxis. The city’s public transportation, with their round the clock schedules is more affordable and efficient than many other cities. In fact, it is safe to say that the city’s public transportation system is moving in the direction of the public transportation system of Paris, which received high praises in The Sustainable City:
Many cities have a well organized public transport system coupled with
thriving city centre. The correlation between the two is illustrated by the fact
that in central Paris, a thriving tourist destination, over 90% of the people have
reached there by public transport. This enviable modal shift has been
achieved by increasing the capacity and quality of public transport provision,
in particular the segregated rail and metro systems, subsidizing fares and
severely discouraging private car access by reducing the provision and
increasing the cost of parking.
thriving city centre. The correlation between the two is illustrated by the fact
that in central Paris, a thriving tourist destination, over 90% of the people have
reached there by public transport. This enviable modal shift has been
achieved by increasing the capacity and quality of public transport provision,
in particular the segregated rail and metro systems, subsidizing fares and
severely discouraging private car access by reducing the provision and
increasing the cost of parking.
(p. 304)
Just like Paris, as mentioned in the quotation above, visitors avoid driving into the city partly because of the expensive parking fees. Furthermore, the city has become more pedestrian friendly in the recent years. More seating areas are being created in many parts of the city and in some cases vehicular access is also being limited. In the Time Square area, some part of Broadway has been sectioned off just for pedestrian use. With all the traffic in midtown, New York is becoming increasingly pedestrian friendly.
Similar to the police presence, the commercialization of the city plays a huge role in attracting visitors and as a result creating a safer environment – there are people practically everywhere in many of the popular urban destinations, like Times Square, less opportunity for crime to be committed. Having enough store, restaurants, cafes, etc. along these urban spaces gives people more activities to engage themselves in and keeps the pedestrian traffic on the street all day.
Lastly, if I may comment on one other aspect of the city’s urban space popularity, which I will refer to as the hospitality factor. In big cities, especially New York, there is a perception that people are usually unfriendly. Without taking a stand on this, I would say that mingling with people in some of these urban spaces can affect this general perception, perhaps in a more positive way than otherwise. Albert Lafarge underscores this point from Whyte’s work in The Essential William Whyte:
It is no frivolous matter, then, to note many people on the streets of New York
can be observed smiling, even laughing, and on the most crowded streets at
times, like the rush hours, when there might not seem much to be smiling
about. New Yorkers themselves fervently deplore the city, its horrendous
traffic jams, the noise and the litter, the crowding. It is their favorite form of
self-praise. Only the heroic, they imply, could cope. But they are often right in
the middle of it all, and by choice; stopping to have a street corner chat,
meeting people, arguing, making deals, watching the girls go by, eating, looking
at the oddballs and the freaks.
can be observed smiling, even laughing, and on the most crowded streets at
times, like the rush hours, when there might not seem much to be smiling
about. New Yorkers themselves fervently deplore the city, its horrendous
traffic jams, the noise and the litter, the crowding. It is their favorite form of
self-praise. Only the heroic, they imply, could cope. But they are often right in
the middle of it all, and by choice; stopping to have a street corner chat,
meeting people, arguing, making deals, watching the girls go by, eating, looking
at the oddballs and the freaks.
(p. 228)
People in the city may not, after all, be as unfriendly as they are thought to be by many people and there is a good deal of socializing with each other once they hit the public spaces. While sharing the public spaces and getting closer in contact, there is more and more interaction within the pedestrians or users of these urban spaces. The city and state government of New York do play their part in this hospitality – their recent law accepting same sex marriage will attract more visitors and help both state and city economies.
Urban spaces in New York, like other big cities, will experience increasing number of visitors when attention is given to the different points discussed above. New York have benefited from the improvements mentioned above, especially the pedestrian friendly spaces and commercialization of some of its districts. From personal experiences of living in New York for several years including in the nineties, some of these spaces appear different. In retrospect, the nightly news with the more frequent incidents at places like Central Park were not the best times the city had seen. The more user friendly parks, like High Line, and pedestrian friendly streets, like Times Square’s Broadway, have changed the city spaces for the better.
Bibliography
Whyte, William H. Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Washington, DC: The Conservation Foundation, 1980
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1992
Brebbia C.A. et al. The Sustainable City, Southampton, UK: WIT Press, 2000
Lafarge, Albert. The Essential William Whyte. New York, NY: Fordam University Press, 2000
Bibliography
Whyte, William H. Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Washington, DC: The Conservation Foundation, 1980
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1992
Brebbia C.A. et al. The Sustainable City, Southampton, UK: WIT Press, 2000
Lafarge, Albert. The Essential William Whyte. New York, NY: Fordam University Press, 2000
