The Interstitial City

A Toolkit for Reclaiming New York City’s Privately Owned Public Spaces

How can the overlooked and in-between spaces in our cities inform a more holistic, better-connected public realm network during a pivotal time for downtowns and office-to-residential conversions post-pandemic?

Drawing from learnings across mixed-methods research, this Interstitial City Toolkit outlines nine guiding principles for improved design, engagement, decision-making, and governance within NYC’s privately owned public space program, with applications for comparable public space ecosystems in cities around the world.

Within this framework, the Interstitial City repositions these in-between spaces as the catalysts for more complete neighborhoods, community-driven placemaking and placekeeping, and a more equitable redistribution of access to public space.

View the full report here.