Forest City Ratner have proposed building a 7-acre “publicly-accessible” open space as part of the Atlantic Yards plan. There is no question that new public open space is badly needed in the area.

The problem is that the open space proposed won’t feel public, because it will be situated directly behind buildings. The park space is likely to feel more like a private backyard than a public park, similar to Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan.

The sponsors of BrooklynSpeaks believes that public open space should not only be publicly accessible, but be mapped as public parkland and designed to feel public. One way that this can be accomplished is to plan open space adjacent to public streets, as is the case with nearly every successful public park in Brooklyn and New York City. This ensures that the open space will always feel inviting to the public.

Forest City Ratner's proposed open space will feel private

Ft. Greene Park feels public because it is surrounded by public streets

For more background on the open space issues at Atlantic Yards, please read this article in the Gotham Gazette by clicking here.