Department of City Planning has new map of Privately Owned Public Spaces, but Pacific Park not yet included

Excerpt from DCP

The Department of City Planning has created a new searchable online map of Privately Owned Public Spaces, or POPS, as noted in the press release below.

The database will be updated regularly, says the DCP, which is a good idea, because, for example, there's no mention of the POPS behind 535 Carlton and 550 Vanderbilt, the two towers on the southeast block of the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project.

The open space is part of a larger, 8-acre area that could take until 2035 to complete. See screenshot at right and look to lower right.

There's also no mention of Domino Park in Williamsburg either, by the way, and that's finished, not merely in progress.

By the way, to search from the Department of City Planning map, drill down in the drop-down menu of Parks, Gardens, and Historical Sites, and only check off Privately Owned Public Spaces. See below.

The DCP map also links to a Municipal Art Society-produced web site devoted to POPS, with descriptions, photos, and the opportunity to comment. It doesn't include the new Pacific Park spaces either.

The press release, verbatim below

DCP CREATES SEARCHABLE ONLINE ‘POPS’ MAP

Sept. 4, 2018 – Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago today announced the launch of a new interactive map of New York City’s Privately Owned Public Spaces, or POPS. Access the map by visiting https://capitalplanning.nyc.gov/pops.

“Tucked away in our busiest and densest business districts, privately owned public spaces, or POPS, are places to sit and relax, eat lunch and people watch. Whether near your office, a hospital or home, these indoor and outdoor spaces provide a respite from our bustling city. The POPS map is intended to take the mystery out of their location and function,” Director Lago said.

This new online tool maps the more than 550 POPS in New York City, providing information on the required hours of access and any amenities required to be at each of them, such as tables and chairs.

While they are public spaces, POPS are owned and maintained by private property owners in exchange for taller/bulkier buildings or other waivers.

Introduced in the 1960s, POPS result from zoning regulations that encourage private property owners to offer a welcome measure of open public space and greenery in the densest areas of our city. Today, more than 550 POPS have been built on the property of 350 commercial buildings. These public spaces are primarily located in Manhattan, but are increasingly being developed in other boroughs, particularly Brooklyn and Queens, as the city’s commercial office markets expand. Find out more about POPS on our recently updated POPS webpage: http://nyc.gov/pops.

The POPS map offers search filters that let you:

• Locate a nearby POPS by address
• Select and view all POPS in a community board
• Find the type and size of a POPS at any given location
• Learn the hours of access and what amenities are to be provided
• Discover the year that the POPS was built and who designed it

The digital map will be updated regularly, including new POPS and information about renovations.

POPS data is the latest addition to the NYC Facilities Explorer, an online tool that aggregates information about facilities and program sites in New York City that are owned, operated, funded, licensed or certified by a City, State or Federal agency in New York City. Data is broken down into seven categories:

• Health and Human Services
• Education, Child Welfare, and Youth
• Parks, Gardens, and Historical Sites
• Libraries and Cultural Programs
• Public Safety, Emergency Services, and Administration of Justice
• Core Infrastructure and Transportation
• Administration of Government

NYC Facilities Explorer uses more than 35,000 records from 43 different public data sources provided by City, State, and Federal agencies. The Department of City Planning continually looks for more public information about facilities to keep this e-tool updated.