The Meatpacking District in New York City is a landmarked historic district in transition from a working district to a retail and tourist-oriented cultural district. The district opens up spatially with triangular spaces that result from the intersection of the local Village grid that sits in contrasts to the uniform Manhattan grid. These spaces are much loved by neighboring Greenwich Village and Chelsea residents for their gritty character and extensive cobblestone paving. The NYC Department of Transportation was initiating a “traffic diet” plan to reduce Ninth Avenue in this area by two traffic lanes and create new pedestrian plazas in conjunction with sub-grade utility replacement that resulted in complete reconstruction of the street and sidewalks.

The resulting design involved designing the replacement of all cobblestone paving and curbs, design of new pedestrian plazas, planters and furnishings. The project involved working with numerous public agencies and neighborhood constituencies.

Images by: Barrett Doherty