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21st Century Street Designers Reimagine 4th Ave & 9th
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 3, 2008
Modified Nov 7, 2008
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 3, 2008
Modified Nov 7, 2008
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Transportation Alternatives announced three winners today in their "Designing the 21st Century Street," competition, which sought new visions for the heavily-trafficked intersection of 4th Avenue and 9th Street in Park Slope. The intersection is notoriously dreary and annoying, with pedestrians coming from the east forced to cross several lanes of traffic to get to the shabby elevated F station, which will be renovated someday maybe, the MTA swears.
According to Transportation Alternatives, more than 100 submissions from 13 countries tried to tackle the intersection, "a crossing that exemplifies car-first design by encouraging speeding and reckless driving while all but ignoring the walking and biking environment. Submissions ranged from the esoteric (a giant mirror placed in the center of the intersection, slowing cars with the illusion of a head-on collision) to the fine-tuned weaving of dedicated bike, car and transit lanes."
The jury included artists, architects, and local residents, as well as Commissioner David Burney of the Department of Design and Construction and Alex Washburn, Chief Urban Designer for NYC. Each winner got a $4,000 cash prize and bragging rights, but the competition was not part of any official city plan, and the goal of turning Fourth Avenue into "a grand boulevard of the 21st Century" to rival Park Avenue is still just a pipe dream.
Tagged
21st century street
4th avenue
9th street
design
intersection
park slope
transportation alternatives
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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