Make Way for Lower Manhattan is a vision for the public realm and transformation of the Financial District of Lower Manhattan (FiDi), New York’s oldest and most historic place.

Lower Manhattan boasts the greatest density of old and new tourist attractions of any area of New York City. In a half-mile radius from Fulton Center sit Federal Hall, the Stock Exchange,the Brooklyn Bridge, the 9/11 Memorial, the Oculus, Wall Street, Trinity Church, and the South Street Seaport as well as access points to Governors, Liberty and Ellis Islands. In no part of the island is tourism growing faster.

Yet the growth in visitation has resulted in a host of challenges to the public realm – and to the people who live and work there.

Publica completed a public realm study of Lower Manhattan, analysing the historic streets to conceive new ideas for better public realm connections between spaces, landmarks and destinations. We presented our findings and spatial ideas to a wide group of key stakeholders, which helped to unlock the next stages of the project.

Publica’s research helped articulate a people-first vision for FiDi’s historic streets, recognising that prioritising pedestrians over cars can make movement safer, easier, and more enjoyable. By doing so, the area can be transformed into one of the world’s most attractive places to live, work, and visit. The community-based report informs an initiative to reimagine FiDi’s future as New York City’s most celebrated historic destination.