Site Selection Tips

urban art programSelecting a Site

Introduction

The NYCDOT Urban Art Program presents temporary public art on DOT-owned and maintained properties. DOT plazas, fences, medians, triangles, sidewalks and jersey barriers, in all five boroughs, are possible locations for art. DOT identifies a number of priority sites for the pARTners’ track that are wide enough to accommodate artwork, accessible to a diverse audience, and respond to requests from the community for beautification. For an updated list of current priority sites, refer to the Priority Site List.

Organizations are also invited to propose art projects for DOT-owned sites within their community. This document is intended to assist in appropriate site selection.

Consider the following guidelines when selecting a potential site for art: Size and Safety, Visibility and Accessibility and Site Enhancement and Significance.

•SizeandSafety: Select a site that is large enough to accommodate both the proposed artwork and passersby to ensure artwork does not introduce a tripping or safety hazard.

•VisibilityandAccessibility: Select a site that is visible and accessible to the public.

•SiteEnhancementandSignificance: Select a site appropriate for the artwork that will also benefit from the addition of public art.

This document describes a) site types, b) typical elements found at a site, c) site type requirements and recommendations, and d) potential installations appropriate for site types.

urban art programSelecting a Site

Site Type: Plazas DOT plazas are outdoor public spaces created by reclaiming and redesigning street segments as places for pedestrian use. TypicalElements• Streetfurniture(benches,tables,awnings)• Pedestrianlighting• Drinkingfountains• Litterreceptacles• Utilities• Landscaping• Mainamenity(permanentartwork,fountains)• Bikeracks

Requirements and Recommendations• Plazaswithintegrateddesignelements(suchaspavementart or distinctive benches) are appropriate for temporary art.• Theprimarypathsmustbemaintainedatanacceptablewidth; ancillary paths within a plaza may be reduced to the ADA minimum where appropriate. • Anunobstructedpathwithawidthofatleast8feetbetweenthe art and the curb line must be maintained at all times for pedestrian use and vehicular safety. • Plazaswithmainamenities(suchaspermanentartworkorlarge fountains) are not appropriate for temporary artwork.

For more information on the NYC Plaza Program, visit www.nyc.gov/plazas.

Potential Installations• Sculpture/3-dimensionalinstallations• Art/lightprojections• Displaycases

14thStreetand9thAvenuePlaza,ManhattanSleepingMonster,NicoloVerlato(artist)InpartnershipwithMoreArt

urban art programSelecting a Site

Site Type: Triangles/MediansTriangles and medians are raised divides separating traffic lanes, roadway directions or roadbeds within a street. Triangles/medians vary in size.

TypicalElements• Litterreceptacles• Landscaping• Streetlighting• Roadsigns• Bikeracks

Requirements and Recommendations• Largerconcretetriangles/mediansareappropriateforartwork.• Triangles/mediansthatareeasilyandsafelyaccessibleand/or visible to the public are appropriate for artwork. • Anunobstructedpathwithawidthofatleast8feetbetween the art and the curb line must be maintained at all times for pedestrian use. • Triangles/mediansownedbyDOTbutmaintainedbytheDepartment ofParksandRecreation(Greenstreets)mustbereviewedbyboth agencies as a site for public art.

Potential Installations• Sculpture/3-dimensionalinstallations• Displaycases

AstorPlaceTriangle,AstorPlaceand4thAvenue,ManhattanMakingHistoryMatter,LaPlacaCohen(designer)InpartnershipwithNew-YorkHistoricalSociety

urban art programSelecting a Site

Site Type: SidewalksSidewalks are paved paths designed primarily for pedestrian use, which are located between the roadside curb and adjacent property lines.

TypicalElements• Streetfurniture• Litterreceptacles• Bikeracks• Busshelters• Signsandsignposts• Streetandpedestrianlighting

Requirements and Recommendations• Wide,well-maintainedsidewalkswithalimitednumberofelements are appropriate sites for artwork.• Theprimarypathsmustbemaintainedatanacceptablewidth; ancillary paths on a sidewalk may be reduced to the ADA minimum where appropriate. • Anunobstructedpathwithawidthofatleast8feetbetweentheart and the curb line must be maintained at all times for pedestrian use.• Sidewalkswillnotserveascanvases;thereforeartworkcannotbe painted directly onto the pavement but must instead be bolted to or mounted on the sidewalk.

Potential Installations• Sculpture/3-dimensionalinstallation• Art/Lightprojections• Displaycases

LaGuardiaPark,LaGuardiaPlacebetweenW3rdandBleeckerStreets,ManhattanFly’sEyeDome,BuckminsterFuller(architect)InpartnershipwithCenterforArchitectureandMaxProtechGallery

Site Type: FenceA fence is a barrier that encloses an area and restricts movement in and out of DOT-owned space.

TypicalElements• Signs• Gates•Corrugatedmetalorchain-link(material)

Requirements and Recommendations• Gatesorotheregresspointsonafencemustnotbeblocked by art work. • Fencesmustbeabletosupporttheweightofaninstallationtobe considered an appropriate site. • Fenceswillnotserveascanvases;thereforeartworkcannotbe painted directly onto the surface but instead must be bolted to or mounted on the fence.

Potential Installations• Murals/2-dimensionalinstallation• Reliefs

FrontStreetbetweenPearlandAdamsStreets,BrooklynNatureMatchingSystems,TattfooTan(artist)InpartnershipwiththeDumboBusinessImprovementDistrict

urban art programSelecting a Site

urban art programSelecting a Site

Site Type: Jersey BarrierA Jersey barrier is a low, concrete barrier installed by DOT to separate lanes of traffic, buffer bicycle lanes, support weakened infrastructure and enclose construction sites.

TypicalElements• 20feetlongby3feettall(individualbarrier)

Requirements and Recommendations• ThesideofaJerseybarrierfacingapedestriansidewalkand/or cyclistpathwayisappropriateforartwork;thevehiculartrafficside is generally not appropriate. • TheheightoftheJerseybarriercannotbealtered.• Jerseybarrierscanbepaintedoraseparatecanvas(suchasvinyl or parachute cloth) can be adhered to the barrier.

Potential Installations• Murals• Two-dimensionalinstallation

TillaryStreetbetweenAdamsStreetandCadmanPlazaWest,ManhattanWorkerBees,ClareHerron,ChristopherBeckand11Brooklynstudents(artists)InpartnershipwithGroundswellCommunityMuralProjectandtheDowntownBrooklynPartnership

urban art programSelecting a Site

SiteType:BridgeAnchorageandArchwayA bridge anchorage is composed of the two outer sides of a bridge, that are grounded on land, providing support for the structure as it spans across a body of water, a roadway, a railroad, etc.

Requirements and Recommendations• Thebridgestructurecannotbealtered;thereforeartworkmay only be projected onto the surface of the bridge. • Theanchoragesandarchways,anydoorsorgates,utilitypoints, conduits, emergency fire valves and stand pipe systems of the bridge must not be blocked by equipment used to project artwork.• TheAnchorages’securitysystemcannotbeinterferedwithbythe art projections.• Sitesareappropriateforartworkonlyiftheprojectedimageis below the bridge roadway.

Potential Installation• Art/Lightprojections

ManhattanBridgeAnchorage,BrooklynDigitalArtProjections,VariousArtistsInpartnershipwiththeDumboBusinessImprovementDistrict