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WORLD CLASS STREETSCOMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND PARTNERSHIPSMarcy Plaza, Bedford Stuyvesant: Permanent plaza ribbon cutting. Artist: Ellen Harvy25th St PlazaEvery public plaza created in a former roadbed has a partner ina business improvement district, merchants association or localdevelopment corporation that has done its own calculus of thebenefits of generating more foot traffic and attracting people withpublic seating and attractive surroundings. Even for temporaryplazas, DOT must have maintenance partners.Recent DOT plazas have been created through the application–based NYC Public Plaza Program for capital construction plazas,which has become a national model for community based planning.This focuses new initiatives into places where people want them,dramatically reducing project negotiation and development times,which in turn keeps implementation in reasonable time scales.Here again, the private sector shows that it values attractiveurban space and public seating. Demand for the plazas throughthis program has been very strong, with applications outstrippingawards by 2 to 1.Through the Public Plaza Program, business improvement districtsor non–profits across the city suggest sites for plazas. Winningapplicants partner with DOT to design the plaza. Through publicworkshops, DOT and its partners draft a vision for each plazathat complements the architecture, culture, and history of thesurrounding neighborhood. DOT tailors community outreach to suitthe scope, size, complexity and magnitude of potential impactsof each project. The process is iterative, as DOT often adjustsand modifies the project based on community feedback. A plazais then built with city funds, either as a temporary plaza with DOTpaint, gravel and plantings, or as a more extensive, longer termcapital street construction project by the Department of Designand Construction. After the plaza is built, the non–profit partneris responsible for maintenance, cleaning, and the management ofplaza concessions, events and programs.126Chapter 9: Plazas, Public Space and Public Seating