New York’s Fifth Avenue will become a pedestrian-friendly boulevard

NYC Mayor Eric Adams plans to give Fifth Avenue, an iconic shopping destination, a major makeover. Adams’ proposal calls to re-imagine a stretch of Fifth Avenue – from Bryant Park at 42nd Street to Central Park at 59th Street – and turn this space into a permanent pedestrian-centered boulevard.

The new vision for one of the most well-known and expensive streets in the world comes a week after Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul unveiled the “New New York: Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan. Under the new proposal, the city will expand sidewalks, and green space, plant more trees and prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit. 

“Fifth Avenue is an iconic corridor and an engine of our Midtown economy. But it is also an unmissable opportunity to show the city and the country how world-class public space can help create vibrant central business districts,” said Mayor Adams. 

“New York isn’t coming back, New York is back. But New Yorkers don’t sit on our hands — we will continue to bring everyone to the table, come up with innovative ideas together, and make our city safer, fairer, and more prosperous.”

Fifth Avenue became car-free last month as a part of the holiday Open Street program. In the first three weekends of December, nine blocks of Fifth Avenue, from 48th to 57th, were close to vehicles. This initiative intends to make it easier for people to get around this part of the city and enjoy holiday shopping. The success of the Open Street season has proved that there is demand for more pedestrian-friendly spaces.

New York City will contract a design firm to begin the makeover process. The re-imagination of Fifth Avenue will begin in 2023, with the construction plan expected to be completed in two years. Most of the upcoming changes will be funded by the city and state, with some help from Midtown stakeholders, such as the Fifth Avenue Association, the Grand Central Partnership, the Bryant Park Association, and the Central Park Conservancy. 

Resources:

“Mayor Adams Moves to Reimagine Fifth Avenue From Bryant Park to Central Park,” (NYC, 2022)

“​​Fifth Avenue is set to become a permanent pedestrian-centered boulevard,” by Anna Rahmanan (Time Out, 2022)

“NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park,” by Aaron Ginsburg (6sqft, 2022)

“NYC’s Iconic Fifth Avenue Is Getting a Major Makeover, and Some Are Not Happy With the Design,” by Katherine McLaughlin (Architectural Digest, 2022)

“Mayor touts pedestrian plan to 'reimagine' Fifth Avenue in Manhattan,” by Phil Corso (Gothamist, 2022)

“Fifth Avenue redesign gives pedestrians free reign over one of the city’s busiest streets,” by Audrey Wachs (The Architect’s Newspaper, 2022)

“Stretch of 5th Avenue to become permanent pedestrian-friendly zone with mass transit, bike lanes,” by Katherine Lavacca (ABC7 NY, 2022)