Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
In response to the encroaching reality of autonomous vehicles functioning within cities, Blank Space, an online architectural platform, launched a design competition in partnership with the City of New York to imagine actionable solutions for a driverless future. “Public Square,” the award-winning entry by FXFOWLE with Sam Schwartz Engineering, provides New York City a way to rethink its streets and reclaim space for pedestrians.
Public Square is a plug-and-play system of interlocking unitized squares, roughly 8’x8’ in size, that provide the platform for a wide variety of surface module programs. With applications ranging from seating to retail stands, to play equipment, to gardens and green space, Public Square can be assembled into endless configurations in order to suit the needs of different neighborhoods, or change incrementally as cities adapt to automated vehicles. The system allows for easy access to utilities, works with existing drainage paths, increases storm water retention, provides bio-filtration, and can embed smart-street technology.