Presentation KUL Review1 _ Feb 01 2012

Public space is in need for new approaches in the comporary city. Interest shifted towards transport nodes in the network city. Spaces with a high collective character but unutilized possibilities. What is critical in our society is the simultaneous (re)structuring of the urban geography by the competing logics of the 'Space of Flows' and the 'Space of Places' [M. Castelles, 2001]. New possibilities for public design can be found in the growing importance of transportation nodes in the functioning of the city.

At the border between Brownsville and East New York a very exceptional strip is analysed. The construction of a freight railway created an interruption and by this a physical border in the grid. In this strip two possibilities are analysed with a view for the area's future developments of a stronger public tranportation and greener transport in terms of strategic bike routes.

My design will consider both the public transportation and biking issues. The bike route is designed between two existing routes of Liverty Avenue and Belt Parkway running through the strip mentioned above and linking up different surrounding neighborhoods. At the intersection of the L- and 3-train an area will be designed linking up both stations since the North - South connection is growing in importance in the Queens-Brooklyn connection. At this point the stations will be interlinked by the design of a public space giving new possibilities for this area.

In an analysis of the area of East New York and Brownsville different needs can be implemented together with the design of the transportation node and the bike strip. First interests now are urban farming and the provision of a youth center together with after school activities.