The New Corona Plaza, One Frame at a Time

By Brad Aaron
Sep 17, 2012

In existence for just a few weeks now, the pedestrianized Corona Plaza has the makings of a livable streets success story. Check out this time-lapse video from DOT depicting the evolution of a new community space.

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Julissa Ferreras Spotlights Ped Medians, Plazas in NY1 Tour of Her District

By Stephen Miller | Aug 26, 2013

On a tour of her council district in East Elmhurst and Corona with Errol Louis of NY1 on Friday, Council Member Julissa Ferreras highlighted two livable streets projects: Corona Plaza, a popular gathering spot near the 7 train, and wider medians on Astoria Boulevard to help seniors cross the street. “I’d like for more cars to […]

Ped Plazas in Low-Income Neighborhoods Get $800,000 Boost From Chase

By Stephen Miller | Nov 26, 2013

Under cloudy skies this morning at Corona Plaza, elected officials and community members gathered to announce an $800,000 contribution from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to help fund the upkeep of pedestrian plazas in low-income communities. The funds are going to the Neighborhood Plaza Partnership (NPP), a program of the Horticultural Society of New York that works […]

How City Hall Can Improve NYC’s Public Spaces Instead of Tearing Them Out

By Stephen Miller | Sep 4, 2015

While recent comments from Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton about potentially yanking out the Times Square plazas have caused an uproar, a much deeper and more substantial debate over plazas has been simmering for months. Public space advocates and plaza managers say the city’s rules governing who can do what with plaza space are cumbersome […]

Julissa Ferreras Joins Corona Residents in Planning for a Safer 111th Street

By Stephen Miller | Nov 10, 2014

Residents and community groups in Corona are working to tame traffic on an extra-wide street that separates their neighborhood from the largest park in Queens. They’re backed by a council member who, in addition to putting aside funds for the project, is asking the city to bring bike lanes and traffic calming to the rest […]

Jan Gehl Joins Advocates to Talk Public Plazas in Low-Income Neighborhoods

By Stephen Miller | Feb 6, 2014

Ask a New Yorker about the city’s plazas, and they’re likely to first think of Times Square. While the city’s marquee pedestrian space gets most of the attention, there are dozens of neighborhood-scale plazas across the city, with dozens more in the works in communities requesting them from DOT. Not all local groups have the […]