Public Space Analysis

Throughout our program, we have evaluated public spaces throughout New York City using the above rubric. These public spaces have included Bryant Park, the Highline, Hudson Yards, and Little Island. We also evaluated publicly owned private spaces (POPS) in pairs, such as the Seagram Building, and used the rubric to evaluate them. After using the rubric many times, we employed it on Cooper Square and Cooper Triangle. Here is our analysis:

 

Users 

There are not many users who directly engage with this space. A few people briefly sit, but it is mainly a transitory space where people pass through without sitting down. The biggest group of users is the unhoused who sleep, sit, and store their belongings in the space.

 

Activities 

As mentioned before, the space is transitory; there is not much activity outside of people passing through and the unhoused sleeping or sitting. There are very few interactions between people and the space does not appear to be programmed at all; all activities are spontaneous.

 

Design 

Cooper Triangle has a large statue of Peter Cooper surrounded by a fence. A fence also encircles the whole triangle, as do plant beds and trees. A very low fence surrounds the plant beds inside the Triangle. There are benches, a water fountain, and an (empty) little free library inside the fenced area. The area is relatively shaded, and at night, the lights do not illuminate the area by the statue well. Due to the bending of the plant beds, one’s view is obstructed and a sense of privacy is created. Cooper Square features a much more open design. There are plant beds with a low fence surrounding them. There are also benches, but these benches feature hostile architecture. In addition, there is also some stadium style seating.

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Context 

There are a few different schools (NYU, Cooper Union, and Grace Church School) surrounding the space. Grace Church School is a K-12 school, and the children will occasionally occupy the space during their lunch breaks. The residents who live in the surrounding area are relatively well off; more information on demographics can be found on the demographics page. There are some retail businesses nearby that seemed relatively quiet during the weekday. The space is connected to Cooper Union as it is named after its founder, Peter Cooper; the statue in the space is also of him.

 

Sustainability/Resilience 

Not much is known about the sustainability of the space. There is greenery, but their nativity to New York is unknown. Additionally, the materials to construct the benches and statue are unknown. The benches are falling apart, which signifies that the materials may not be the most resilient.

 

Maintenance/Regulation 

The space is not well maintained or regulated. Trash overflows from the bins. Needles, lighters, and broken glass litter the ground. There is a list of park rules, but it is unclear how well they are obeyed. There has never been anybody present enforcing the rules. The Parks Department is responsible for the maintenance and regulation of the space.

 

Equity 

There is nothing to suggest that the space is not equitable, but it also seems that the space does not intentionally do anything to be equitable. The unhoused do seem to be relatively undisturbed in the space. We hope to design the space to be welcoming to a wider range of communities; we want the space to remain as a place for the unhoused, but also invite in more students and residents of the surrounding community. Part of this can be accomplished through design, and part of it can be through programming.