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Seven General Principles for the Rebuilding of Lower Manhattan

Design Matters: Planning Coalition Issues Initial Recommendations for the Rebuilding of Lower Manhattan

The draft report is the result of a threemonth- long pro bono effort by 350 professionals representing 20 organizations. It is intended to provide a foundation for the range of decisions that the public and private sectors will make in the coming months. The working draft contains maps and illustrations that give a visual presence to the broad discussions already underway. The New York New Visions coalition offers the draft report now, as decisions about infrastructure begin to be made, recognizing that speed must be balanced with sensitivity to the many constituencies and issues at hand.

Editor's Note: The organizations represented by this coalition include New York chapters of the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects. Seven general principles from the draft report are reprinted below. The full report is available from the New York New Visions web site.

Seven General Principles

We propose the rebuilding of a vital World Trade Center site and Lower Manhattan in a way that responds to the needs of a wide variety of stakeholders. New York New Visions offers the following seven major recommendations that are presented in more detail in the body of this report.

1. Establish an Open Memorial Process.

   Organize a formal, transparent, and open process to determine the nature and location of memorials. Ultimately, memorials should be integral to the redevelopment of the area. Prepare for a lengthy and comprehensive memorial effort. Establish appropriate temporary memorials during the intervening period.

2. Encourage a Mixed-use Future for Lower Manhattan.

   Intensify and encourage increased diversity of programmatic uses. Capitalize on the cultural, historic, and geographic assets of the district as generators of growth. Develop a true 24-hour community within a pedestrian realm. Promote complementary and productive adjacencies to improve security and develop the regional tax base.

3. Become a Transportation Crossroads for the City and Region.

   Focus on improving accessibility by mass transit; it is the single most important investment in the future health of Lower Manhattan. Magnify public and economic benefits of investment by linking existing and new transportation centers and integrating them with pedestrian flows and open space.

4. Enhance the Reciprocal Relationship Between Lower Manhattan and the Region.

   Implement a balanced growth strategy that reflects the reciprocal relationship of Lower Manhattan and the region. Coordinate decisions about the restructuring of the World Trade Center site with development in the rest of Manhattan, the other city boroughs, and key communities in Long Island, Westchester and New Jersey.

5. Become a Center for Design Excellence in New York City.

   Demand design excellence with an emphasis on sustainability to create economic and social value. Create the highest quality urban patterns and architecture. Require decreased life-cycle costs and energy use. Promote long-term flexibility.

6. Develop a Creative and Inclusive Planning Process.

   Create a comprehensive and inclusive plan for Lower Manhattan. Balance Urgency with informed decisions. Reorganize the building review process to expedite priority projects. Adopt a model building code to address changes in technology and performance.

7. Immediate Actions. Create and implement a plan for temporary memorials, integrated with viewing places that address visitor and resident needs.

   Address short-term transportation, amenity, and smallbusiness needs of the district. Define the character of a secure and open public realm, and begin its implementation as utilities are put back into place.