Over the past five years New York City has gone through an unprecedented period of activity related to street design and public space. Advocates have loudly questioned the status quo, government has implemented new policy, and citizens and the media have responded with a wide range of opinions.

This program seeks to give an overview of the history of public space advocacy in New York City in the context of the recent pedestrian-oriented redesign of Times Square. The moderator will introduce the speakers and offer his own remarks on the subject. Three speakers will deliver individual presentations addressing the past, present, and future of the topic respectively:

• Gwendolyn Wright, professor of architecture at Columbia University, and host of the popular PBS series “History Detectives,” will discuss how perceptions of the public realm in New York City have changed over the past two centuries with a particular focus on episodes of public questioning and conflict over how street space is allocated. Professor Wright will draw specific connections to the history of the Times Square neighborhood.

• Ethan Kent, Vice President of the Project for Public Spaces, will address the recent history of public space advocacy in New York including efforts during the Lindsay and Koch administrations. Mr. Kent will discuss the role that advocates played in the creation of the Times Square pedestrian plaza. As an expert in the field of placemaking, he will also consider the design and dynamics of the plaza itself and examine how it functions as an urban public space.

• Mark Gorton, noted entrepreneur and advocate, will discuss the future of livable streets advocacy in New York. He will propose that it is time to challenge the dominance of the automobile in a much more direct way. He will consider how the strategies used in Times Square could be applied throughout the city. In addition, he will outline a vision of New York after a comprehensive adoption of livable streets principles and will discuss strategies for engaging citizens and communities more directly in the street design process.

• Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, will moderate the program. As both a seasoned advocate and expert on the history and politics of public space in New York, Mr. White will challenge the panelists and audience to engage in a spirited conversation about the past, present, and future of this important issue.

Following the individual presentations the speakers will engage with the moderator in a panel discussion and the program will close with Q and A from the audience. This event is being co-organized by the Institute for Urban Design and OpenPlans as part of Urban Design Week 2011, and is sponsored by the Times Square Alliance.

Please note that advance registration for this event is required.

Click here to see the full schedule for Urban Design Week.