Jerold Kayden, associate professor of urban planning in the Graduate School of Design, stands with his newly published book about privately owned public space in New York City. The book is a carefully researched inquiry into the effects of law on the built environment - he scrutinized thousands of legal documents, visited all 503 spaces, took pictures, and interviewed users of the facilities. "It made the Florida recount seem easy," he said. Staff photo by Jon Chase |
Defender of the clean, well-lighted placeResearcher's work has impact on New York City's public spacesFebruary 1, 2001Jerold Kayden's research on public spaces in New York City is proving a powerful weapon in the hands of a put-upon public. His documentation of how the public has been shortchanged by business owners who fail to live up to agreements to provide public spaces has led to lawsuits and administrative actions against the business owners by the city. In addition to affecting public policy in New York City and elsewhere, Kayden's recent findings were part of the discussion and decision-making surrounding state approval of mixed-use development in the South Boston Waterfront District Municipal Harbor Plan. Kayden teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. |
