What makes a great place?

What elements and activities provide a sense of place for all to enjoy?

Small urban parks are unique and there are a number of successful and failed examples that offer lessons for the design of Italian Village Park. One prominent example is Bryant Park in NYC.

In the 1970s Bryant Park was known as “needle park”. It was elevated and cut-off from the street and dense vegetation concealed the park from view, conditions that did little to invite public use. In the early 1980s, through public and private partnership that provided on-going financial and programmatic support, the park was redesigned.

Today, the park is heavily used with public programs offered throughout the weeks including yoga, movies, children’s story hours, and lawn games. Bryant Park is also a destination that is transformed for larger events including Fashion Week, Holiday skating rink, and others.

Click on the images below to read more about Bryant Park’s history.