Article by Dane Gambrell: “On a sweltering August afternoon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, technologist Chris Whong(opens in new window) led a small group of researchers, students, and local community members on an unusual walking tour. We weren’t visiting the neighborhood’s trendy restaurants or thrift shops. Instead, we were hunting for overlooked public spaces: pocket parks(opens in new window), street plazas, and other spaces that many New Yorkers walk past without even realizing they’re open to the public.
Our map for this expedition was a new app called NYC Public Space(opens in new window). Whong, a former public servant in NYC’s Department of City Planning, built the platform using generative AI tools to write code he didn’t know how to write himself – a practice often called “vibe coding(opens in new window).” The result is a searchable dataset and map of roughly 2,800 public spaces across New York City, from massive green spaces like Flushing Meadows–Corona Park to tiny triangular plazas you’ve probably never noticed.
New York City has no shortage(opens in new window) of places to sit, relax, or eat lunch outside. The city’s public realm includes more than 2,000 parks, hundreds of street plazas, playgrounds, and waterfront areas, as well as roughly 600 privately owned public spaces (POPS) created by developers in exchange for zoning benefits.
What it lacks is an easy way for people to discover these spaces. Some public spaces appear on Google Maps or Apple Maps, but many don’t. Even when they do, it’s often unclear what amenities they offer and whether they’re actually publicly accessible. You might walk by a building in your neighborhood every day but have no idea that it contains a courtyard or indoor plaza open to the public…(More)”
