Tim Tompkins' presentation to on Times Square and the work of the Times Square Alliance during a tour of Cape Town, 24 July 2012.

1. Times Square’s
Public space
journey
An overview
Cape town, South Africa
1

9. Parks reflect surroundings
“You can neither lie to a neighbourhood park, nor reason
with it. 'Artist's conceptions' and persuasive renderings
can put pictures of life into proposed neighbourhood parks
or park malls, and verbal rationalizations can conjure up
users who ought to appreciate them, but in real life only
diverse surroundings have the practical power of inducing
a natural, continuing flow of life and use.” ― Jane Jacobs,
The Death and Life of Great American Cities

11. An evolving mission
1992
To make times square clean safe & fun
2002
To promote & improve times square so
that
it retains the creativity, energy & edge
that have made it an international icon
for over a century

12. MISSION STATEMENT
To promote and improve Times Square
so that it retains the creativity,
energy and edge that have made it an
international icon for 100 years.
Dynamic ‟ Times Square will always be about energy and constant change
Distinctive ‟ unlike any other place in the world, with its own special edge
Diverse ‟ a mix of commerce, culture, and all the peoples of nyc and the world
Desirable ‟ a safe, attractive and appealing place
Destination ‟ a place that everyone – from NYC, NY state, the country and the world
feels is the pace to be, see and be seen

14. What Changed Times Square
„ Economic
Development tools
„ Tax reductions
„ State buys land
„ Public/private financing
„ Cross subsidy

15. What Changed Times Square
„ Zoning (Land Use
regulations)
• Increased density
• Lights & signs
• Dispersing adult stores

16. What Changed Times Square
„ The Times Square
Alliance

22. Clean & Safe
Sanitation:
• 185,000 bags
removed
crime down:
• 11% since 2008
• 58% since 2001
• 82% since 1992

23. 24

24. 25

25. Crossroad of Desire
100 Year Retrospective of Times Square
Making news
The crowds
Sex & desire
Entertaining
America
Signs of the times
26

26. Ogilvy & Mather Brand Analysis
“Times Square’s historic and
cultural significance has come to
shape how people perceive the
New York city experience as a
whole. For many, New York is
synonymous with Times Square.”

27. Ogilvy & Mather Brand Analysis
•“Times Square derives its
meaning from its experiential
content, which is constantly
evolving & changing”

28. Ogilvy & Mather Brand Analysis
“Times Square is a brand with
which people have an emotional
connection. The potent sense of
energy, movement, innovation,
optimism and opportunity that
characterizes the physical space
also reflects the mentality of those
drawn to it”

29. Ogilvy & Mather Brand Analysis
Attributes that best capture the
essence of the Times Square brand:
• Timeless - enduring
• Iconic – epicenter of NYC
• Extraordinary – one of a kind
• Exhilarating – energetic,
magnetic, kinetic
• Connector – in touch with &
creator of popular culture

30. 31

31. 32

32. 33

33. 34

34. Comments from design trust Workshops
“It would be a big mistake if the streetscape had a sort of dulling
effect of uniformity…”
“We need to choreograph the chaos…there has to be a place
to appreciate the chaos.”
“It‟s really important that we think about scale, really grand scale
and
then also very human scale.”
“Create a place where Times Square can be observed.”
35

35. 36

36. 10 Things to Keep in Mind from the Design Trust Workshops
Balance different elements.
Recognize the diversity of who and what is here,
as well as the layers.
Create places.
Be sure to make Times Square a place where
New Yorkers want to come to.
Look for opportunities to reinforce and
recognize what is authentic, what is historic.

37. 10 Things to Keep in Mind from the Design Trust Workshops
Allow for the exhibition of creativity as a way to
express Times Square's unique qualities.
Re-think the relationships between pedestrian and
vehicular spaces.
Think of Times Square as an ever-changing theater
set, with both fixed and changing elements.
Look for ways to make the horizontal plane as
exciting and dynamic as the vertical.
...Keep it simple.

38. Expand and Rebuild Duffy Square
39

39. Create 53% More Sidewalk Space
40

40. “Wire” the Bowtie

41. Provide Spaces and Opportunities for Public
Art

42. Encourage and Recognize Higher Quality Design

43. Explore Enlivening the Horizontal
Plane

45. London::New York
Pedestrian Issues Forum
June 2005

49. Times Square:
A National Perspective
February 2008

50. Putting the Heart back into Times
Square
I wish they would put some of the 56%
"New York" back into Times Square 64%
Times Square has improved 55%
dramatically over the past ten years 81%*
I would like to see more independent 52% Total U.S.
stores/mom and pop shops in Times
Square 61% Tri-State
Times Square has become just 45%
another big mall 52%
Times Square does not reflect the true 36%
quality of New York City 50%*
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
*Significantly higher than corresponding audience at the 95% level
Ranked on Total U.S.

53. RECOGNITION FOR DUFFY SQUARE

54. RECOGNITION FOR DUFFY SQUARE
Building of the Decade ‟ New York
Magazine

55. RECOGNITION FOR DUFFY SQUARE
AWARDED
2007 NYC Art Commission, Award for Excellence
2008 New York Magazine, Best in Architecture
2009 Travel & Leisure, Best Public Place
2009 American Planning Association, William H. Whyte Award
2009 AIANY, Design Merit Award, Lumen Citation for the
Integration of Light, Architecture and Signage
2009 International Association of Lighting Designers, Lumen Award
2009 World Architecture Festival, New and Old category winner
submitted
NYC Dept. of Small Business Services, Placemaker Award
Municipal Art Society of New York
ID Magazine

57. Broadway Pedestrian
Plazas

72. Overall opinions are
positive
8 in 10 Tri-State Area Residents
have positive opinions of the
Pedestrian Plazas in Times Square
Base: Total Tri-State Residents
Q34. What are the first words that come to mind when you think of these pedestrian plazas in Times Square?

73. Theater-Goers are positive
toward plazas, too
Impact of Times Square Pedestrian Plaza
on Theater-Going Experience
Positive Impact
No Impact
Negative Impact
Base: Total Recent Theater-Goers (past 6 mos)
--“Don’t know” responses not included
Q71. What impact has the Broadway pedestrian plaza had on each of the following: Your theater-going experience

74. Negative associations with Times Square
softening, positive ones improving
- Net Words to Describe Times Square Today + Net
2008: 92%* 2008: 83%
2009: 83% Top 5 Negative Words Top 5 Positive Words 2009: 87%*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Base: Tri-State Area Residents
* Statistically significant at 95%
Q17. Which, if any, of the following words best describe Times Square today?

76. PLAZA CONCESSIONS

77. Bow-Tie redesign

78. Bow-Tie redesign

79. Bow-Tie redesign

80. Bow-Tie redesign

81. Bow-Tie redesign

82. Redesign
Snohetta’s Times Square
Glitz Fix Revealed
Times Square ‘noir’: Gritty, $27 m redo
A New Look Is Coming to Times
Square: Minimalism
Times Square Redesign Plan Unveiled
Times Square Redesign: Less Beach, More
'Blade Runner'

83. WITH STEEL KIOSK

85. Times Square
museum &
visitor Center

86. The times square story

87. The times square story

88. The times square story

89. 90

90. Broadway on Broadway

91. COVERAGE
Print: 1,716,943
Broadcast Audience: 616,068
Radio: 4.2 Million
Online: 21 sites
Twitter: 27,842

92. SOLSTICE IN TIMES SQUARE –
JUNE 20

93. National Coverage, Global
Reach
PRESS COVERAGE
508, 544,601 Total Circulation of
Print/Online Coverage
12,865,902 Estimated viewership
of Broadcast Coverage
Total Media Impressions
521,410,503

97. Grate performances-Best of the Buskers

99. Valentine’s Day

100. Valentine’s Day

102. DESIGN TIMES SQUARE LOUNGE
DUFFY SQUARE MAY 24 ‟ JUNE 15, 2009

103. Mmmm “Meeting
bowls”
Times Square Alliance
and Hidemi Takagi
Present „Blender‟ at
Times Square
Make New Friends in
Times Square
„Meeting Bowls‟

104. Adam Frank “Performer”
Performer: An Auto-Affirmation for Everyone

105. Kyungwoo Chun “versus”

106. Dances for a Variable Population

107. Shen Wei Dance Arts

111. COME OUT & PLAY FESTIVAL June 12-14,
2009
“HOPE” SCULPTURE
BY ROBERT INDIANA
June 4-10, 2009

112. Bright lights: big verse
• •
Sing, oh muse, of Times Square
“Poets evoke its flair for a contest celebrating the
famed New York stretch of concrete and chaos.
Poetry, poverty, preening -- it's all there as four
writers read their works on a wind-whipped night.”

113. Mmmm “Meeting
bowls”
Times Square Alliance
and Hidemi Takagi
Present „Blender‟ at
Times Square
Make New Friends in
Times Square
„Meeting Bowls‟

114. xploding Flowers
nd Robert Wilson
ortraits Supplant Ads
Digital Art Coming to
n Times Square
Times Square
umbotron
Times Square Moment

115. Times Square Moment

118. Philip Glass WORLD PREMIERE

121. Creating A great
public realm
- High quality design
- Well managed
- Creatively and consistently
programmed

122. Creating A great
public realm
-Know thyself
-Love thyself
-Use data
-Build a constituency
-define the problem
-Support & advocate

123. public realm
-Community based
-Consistent
-Coherent
-concentrated
-Creative
-Critical mass