Map of NYC’s privately owned public spaces

Mapping tool reveals all of NYC’s secret public spaces – post on PSFK about the new website, POPS, from APOPS (Advocates for Privately-Owned Public Spaces) showing the location of all 500+ privately owned public spaces (POPS) in New York along with descriptions, including scaled site plans.

Skyscraper developers cut a deal with New York City officials that ensured certain restrictions were relaxed regarding the height of their buildings. As long as developers converted a portion of their building’s lot into privately-owned public space, they were allowed to construct taller buildings with added square footage.

A famous example of one of these spaces is the bamboo-filled atrium in what used to be the IBM Building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes  Here’s the POPS entry.  The POPS site explains that they’ve been working closely with the NY Dept of City Planning and – this is especially interesting – that the public, everyone from residents to visitors, is invited to comment, to post events, and to rank the spaces.  See more here, from The Atlantic Cities.