About the Exhibition
The Museum of the City of New York is showcasing an exhibition that brings to light the country first comprehensive zoning code and commemorates its 100th anniversary.Zoning has shaped New York’s built environment ever since the law was passed in 1916. Zoning has steadily grown into one of the city major planning tools and is used to tackle a range of issues like affordable housing and environmental preservation.
At the exhibition one can see the issues the city was facing due to congestion and lack of air and light due to unregulated growth of the city. It shows how the zoning code then came into existence and provided a system of rules for the entire city. It also focuses on the socio-economic impacts of these laws. Finally, it shows us how the city developed into its current state and how the zoning laws are still tackling the current issues of the city.
Project
Special Purpose Districts
Times Square/Theater District, Manhattan
About the Project:
This project shows how zoning can be used to create special neighborhoods, mainly focusing on Times Square as an example. The Special Theater District was established in 1967 to preserve Broadway’s theatrical heritage. Various incentives were provided to builders and property owners of the area to harness a certain culture in the area. Some examples of such incentives would be bonus floor area ratios (FARs) available to developers who include theaters in construction or rehabilitate old ones, and the requirement of property owners to display large, illuminated signs.
The zoning laws were also used to “clean up” Times Square and expunge the X- rated theaters and sex shops that had come to define it.
Focus of Project:
The Project focused on the neighborhood of Times Square. The people it covered were the theatrical society in the area and the family centric masses that would be visiting those theaters.
Problems Tackled:
- Preservation of Broadway’s theatrical heritage
- “clean up” of Times Square
- Modification of the buildings in the area to make it more attractive/appealing to visitors.
Times Square up till the 90s
Times Square today
Design Method
Behavioral Mapping
The design method I would use for this project would be research method number 6 – Behavioral Mapping.
This method would serve the purpose of this project as it would allow me to systematically document location based human activity using tools such as annotated maps, plans, videos or time-lapse photography. This would be perfect as this being a public space seeking to promote a certain kind of culture to its visitors, it would allow me to understand the faults in the areas current environment and its impact on visitors further helping me in developing it better and to peoples tastes.
As Times Square is the hub of human activities, it would serve as the ideal place to make note of readily observable characteristics, the nature of movement of the masses, and the various ongoing activities of the area.