Walkshops will get you out to explore a wide variety of New York City neighborhoods.

Most are guided by local hosts who have an intimate knowledge of the city. See some of the most innovative new projects from NYC Department of Transportation, visit new and restored parks or travel to iconic New York City neighborhoods and learn more of their history and the bright, walkable futures ahead for them.

Click on the time and date below the walkshop title to register for the walkshops of your choice. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. All walkshops are limited to 20 participants. You will receive a message if the walkshop is already filled. Keep in mind that walkshops are offered at the same time as breakout sessions so please review the full conference schedule before registering. And please be respectful of other conference goers and only register for one walkshop per day.

Friday walkshops are an hour and a half longer. Some walkshops will require traveling by subway to the starting point (you will need a MetroCard). Though October in New York City is generally a lovely time of year, please be prepared for inclement weather and of course, wear comfortable shoes.

All walkshops will depart from the Washington Square Park Arch. The conference program contains maps for select walkshops. If you are unable to attend you may wish to tour these facilities on your own before or after the conference.

Allen Street is a major north-south connector through Chinatown and the Lower East Side, an
important route for cars, bikes and walkers. This project takes skinny concrete malls hemmed in
by 3 moving lanes in each direction, widens them for 2 + left-turn lanes, relocates the bike lanes
into the wider malls, connects four malls thru intersections to create temporary plazas –
almost instantly, with a capital project building it out in the near future.
Ryan Russo, Assistant Commissioner,Traffic Management, NYC Department of Transportation
Keri Tyler, Project Manager, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

In February of 2009, New York City Mayor Bloomberg made an announcement which captured worldwide attention, New York City would pilot a project to close several blocks of Broadway,
in order to alleviate traffic congestion in midtown and improve pedestrian safety in Times and Herald
Square. Leading up to that project, NYC Department of Transportation had already
converted one lane of Broadway between these famous squares into new pedestrian space and
created a protected bike lane to link these destinations. Come explore these projects with
the engineers behind it and learn how they made it happen.
Ryan Russo, Assistant Commissioner, Traffic Management, NYC Department of Transportation
Sean Quinn, Planning Coordinator, Pedestrian Projects Group

Visit one of the busiest retail centers in New York City far from the tourist trail. The Bronx Hub is the gateway to the Bronx, a bustling commercial district and a vital transit hub at the intersection of major bus and subway lines. Pedestrians once had to brave a five-legged intersection to transfer between these lines and to access the shops in the area. In 2008, NYC Department of Transportation redesigned the Hub, stripped extraneous roads from a complex intersection with a multi-block diversion plan involving significant traffic and bus route changes to lay the groundwork for 15,000 square feet of new pedestrian plaza and expanded sidewalk space in a neighborhood lacking adequate public space.
Keri Tyler, Project Manager, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

Beginning at the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian-bicycle path, learn about how
the NYC Department of Transportation is working with the local residents and businesses to redesign this gateway to make it more attractive and ensure the safety and mobility of all. Plans include dramatic improvements such as grand treed walkways and off-street bike lanes from the bridge out into the heart of the Downtown Brooklyn’s renaissance. Depending upon interest, tour may include a visit to Pearl Street or Willoughby Street Plazas.

It is an easy walk from here to the evening’s reception in the Tobacco Warehouse, in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood.
Randy Wade, Director, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation
Terra Ishee, Design Coordinator, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

Tour the historic High Bridge, the oldest standing bridge in New York City. The High Bridge, an aqueduct that originally carried the city’s first fresh water supply, connects the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. Once a favorite haunt of Edgar Allan Poe, the restored bridge will be part of the 350-mile greenway system used by commuters, recreational cyclists and pedestrians. Designers face the challenge of preserving the historic character of the bridge while making safety and accessibility modifications. Public health advocates and park managers face the challenge of engaging local residents to “own” this unique park. Come brainstorm solutions, and hear about the bridge’s role as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 plan for long-term sustainability and quality of life. A signed waiver will be required.
Ellen Macnow, High Bridge Project Coordinator, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation

Tour one of New York City’s newest and most talked about public space. The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated, steel structure built in the 1930s to carry freight trains along Manhattan’s west side. The last train ran on it in 1980. In 1999 a group of local residents began advocating for the preservation and reuse of the Highline as public space. This summer the first section of the High Line opened to the public. Its design, led by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, has sought to capture the quiet, contemplative nature of the High Line after the trains stopped running, creating a world apart from the bustling streets of Manhattan. Native plantings, fixed and movable seating, an integrated LED lighting system, and other special features complete the High Line's signature landscape, creating a one-of-a-kind public space 30 feet above the ground.
Peter Mullan, Director of Planning, Friends of the Highine

*A brief introduction to the Highline will be offered at 5:30 for those wishing to view their site on their own before walking to the evening reception, which is a few blocks away.

Walk on the western edge of the City with the President of the Hudson River Park Trust, the organization responsible for building, operating and maintaining five miles (59th St. to the Battery) of the southernmost link of the Hudson River Valley Greenway (Albany to NY Harbor). You will stroll on the continuous pedestrian esplanade and a multiuse bikeway, which is part of the NYS Route 9A right-of-way and learn about the 13 new public piers and upland park areas funded by the State and City of New York and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation/HUD. The first section of park opened in Greenwich Village in 2003, following the completion of the bikeway and new highway. Since that time, more than half of the park has been completed and is used by millions of New Yorkers every year. By the end of next year, roughly 80% of the park will be open to the public.
Connie Fishman, President, Hudson River Park Trust

Travel to the southern corner of Prospect Park and see how a Moses era highway that had sliced into the park from a ramp has been converted into a more civilized landscaped circle. The design features newly developed refuge and cut-through standards.
Terra Ishee, Design Coordinator, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

The complex intersection of Fifth Avenue,Broadway and 23rd Street was recently converted into a landscaped multi-plaza destination in place of a multi-lane gulf between neighborhoods. Reprioritizing Fifth Avenue has speeded up bus trips and bridged a bike network gap.
Randy Wade, Director, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation
Raisa Saratovsky, Urban Designer, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

Visit the Institute for Transportation Engineers (ITE) award-winning protected bicycle path that shortened crosswalks with landscaped refuge islands along a previously forbidding six lane arterial. The southern block has a new and popular temporary plaza next to an Apple store and looking south on the historic Gansevoort Meatpacking District.
Sean Quinn, Planning Coordinator, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation
Rich Carmona, Project Manager, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

Documenting “before” conditions can help you create a case for new projects. And documenting your best projects can help you explain them to the public as you promote new ones. Take a tour with NYC Department of Transportation’s in-house photo expert as she shares best practices and leads you on a fun tour, that will take you to great heights. Bring your camera. We will also make a quick stop to admire the facade of the Brooklyn Museum nearby.
Heidi Wolf, Project Manager, Pedestrian Projects Group, NYC Department of Transportation

NYC Department of Transportation’s Priority School program takes a multi-phased approach to improving safety at schools with a history of severe crashes. The program will study and make operational improvements at 270 schools. Many schools will also receive capital improvements. See the results of the Priority School program at schools in Chinatown where capital improvements were recently completed.
Joshua Benson, Director of Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs, NYC Department of Transportation
Ben Eliya, Chief, School Safety Engineering NYC Department of Transportation

"Romantic Ribbons" are walking routes that connect romantic places and spaces in your city - trails that lovers can trace for an hour or two. A joint project of Rethinking Cities in London and Project for Public Spaces in New York City, Romantic Ribbons invites the public to submit their own suggestions for romantic walks and public spaces. Discover how to create places that generate passion with this romantic walkshop.
Andrew Stuck, Managing Consultant, Rethinking Cities, UK

U.S. cities are facing a growing need as baby boomers age – how will they get around? Seniors who walk face disproportionate risk as their reaction times slow and their bodies often do not recover as quickly if they are injured. Learn how NYC Department of Transportation is taking a datadriven approach to prioritizing Safe Streets for Seniors focus areas and what kinds of safety measures the agency is taking to protect older pedestrians. The walking tour will cover recent safety improvements made in the Lower East Side senior focus area. Safe Routes for Seniors project directors will Chrystie and Forsyth Streets that highlight many of our improvements in our Lower East Side senior focus area.
Ann Marie Doherty, Director of Research Implementation and Safety, NYC Department of Transportation
Hilary Poole, Senior Project Manager, NYC Department of Transportation

After the events of September 11, the Mayor outlined a vision for the 21st Century Lower Manhattan. Rebuilding the World Trade Center and creating major transportation enhancements at South Ferry Station and Fulton Transit Hub were central to this vision, but the City also took this opportunity to work with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to develop a strategy to rebuild and transform the public realm of lower Manhattan. This strategy includes opening the waterfront to public access, creating new public open spaces and improving the streetscape while preserving the security of Lower Manhattan. Our walking tour will include several major initiatives including: the East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers project, New York Stock Exchange Security and Streetscape project and Fulton Street Revitalization program. A key component of our discussion will focus on the unique interagency coordination structure for Lower Manhattan.
Nicole Dooskin, Assistant Vice President of Development, NYC Economic Development Corporation
Josh Kraus, Project Manager, Lower Manhattan Borough Commissioner’s Office, NYC Department of Transportation
Daniel Mulé, Project Manager, NYC Economic Development Corporation
Seth Myers, Program Manager, NYC Mayor’s Office for Capital Projects
Keith O’Connor, Manhattan Office, Senior Planner, NYC Department of City Planning
Suchi Sanagavarapu, Director of Planning, Lower Manhattan Borough Commissioner’s Office, NYC Department of Transportation
Patrick Stewart, NYC Mayor’s Office

In Lower Manhattan, above ground and underground in streets and parks - public art abounds. Join NYC Department of Transportation Assistant Commissioner of Urban Design and Art Wendy Feuer on a winding tour of contemporary and historical artworks on the street, in plazas, parks and the subway. The walk will visit Chase Manhattan Plaza to see Noguchi’s Sunken Garden and Dubuffet’s large-scale standing sculpture. We will walk past the construction site for Louise Nevelson Plaza (one large piece is there) with temporary art screening on the chain link fence. The allegorical sculptures on top of the Custom’s House as well and the (much) larger than life sculpture of George Washington will also be stops. Moving underground we will see the new South Ferry Station as well as a bronze wall piece at the Wall Street station. If time allows, we will make our way over to Battery Park and Battery Park City.
Wendy Feuer, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Planning and Sustainability, NYC Department of Transportation

Hunter’s Point, Queens is a 37-block area encircled by elevated subway lines and below-grade commuter rail lines, a heart-beat away from Manhattan via many subway lines, the Queensboro Bridge and a bike path, this neighborhood is choked off by the very transportation that connects it to Midtown. A new plan will transform this zone into a walkable downtown, with two transformative streetscape and roadway redesign projects. Queens Plaza, a 250-foot wide tangle of traffic and elevated subway columns, is being untied and calmed down by re-routing traffic to create wider medians with a new off-street bike lane and over an acre of new, sustainably-designed, public open space where parking lots once stood. Traffic lights will provide more time for pedestrians to cross the street, new crosswalks will make the street safe to cross, and additional street lights will make the street feel safer at night. A bike lane will be extended through Queensboro Bridge plaza, connecting the bridge path with the neighborhood. Landscaped medians and a lushly designed public open space will provide neighborhood residents, employees, and visitors with a much-needed oasis where they can reconnect with nature against the backdrop of the El. Nearby, Jackson Avenue is undergoing a similar transformation. Generous tree-planted medians, landscaped sidewalks, and new street lights and furniture will humanize and calm this street, which has functioned more like an arterial highway than a street for strolling. Small parks will be enlarged to provide seating areas along and near the street. Tour these areas and learn more about both projects.
Margie Ruddick, lead landscape architect, Hunter’s Point South, New York City
Noriko Maeda, RLA, ASLA, lead landscape architect, Jackson Avenue Streetscape Project, New York City

The Pedestrian Environment Review System (PERS) is an expert tool for assessing and rating street environments and identifying improvements for pedestrians. PERS audits identify and solve many different issues in the pedestrian environment making a business case for high quality streets:

• trip hazards and street clutter
• informal crossings, permeability and problem junctions
• disabled peoples access and compliance with disability laws
• wayfinding, pedestrian signage and lighting
• fear of crime and personal safety

PERS was co-developed with TfL and has been used to audit over 160km of streets around London (over 30% of the TfL network). Take a walk with two PERS experts as they use New York City streets to demonstrate their tool.
This session will immediately follow the “Where to Spend the Money?: Evaluating Pedestrian Need” panel in which PERS will be discussed.
Adam Davies, Senior Consultant, Centre for Sustainability, Transportation Research Library, UK
Spencer Clark, Borough Walking Manager, Transport for London, UK

Former NYC Department of Transportation chief engineer and Traffic Commissioner, Sam Schwartz will lead a walk to the Manhattan Bridge stopping along the way to discuss recent innovations that enhance the pedestrian experience. Walk with him over the Manhattan Bridge (celebrating its 100th anniversary) to Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in DUMBO, Brooklyn and join the party at Tobacco Warehouse! Stops on this three-mile walkshop include the newly planted medians and refuges on Houston Street, transit and pedestrian improvements on Broadway, the Grand Street protected bike lane, the new sidewalk extensions on Forsythe Street, and the expansion of Petrosino Square, to name a few. We’ll discuss the positive and negative implications of these designs and others as we make our way to the Manhattan Bridge. We’ll look at overcrowding, transit access, seating, and aesthetics as we consider how New York City will accommodate an additional million people over the next 20 years. It is an easy walk from the end of this walkshop to the evening’s reception in the Tobacco Warehouse, in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood.
Sam Schwartz, Sam Schwartz Consulting