Key Considerations

The Key Considerations in this chapter highlight how thoughtful street design can support a wide variety of activations—whether it’s a neighborhood gathering, seasonal market, or cultural event. By addressing elements like accessibility, safety, space planning, and operations, these considerations help ensure that streets can flexibly transform to host community-focused activities while remaining safe, functional, and welcoming for all users.

A bustling NYC street filled with cyclists, runners, and pedestrians enjoying a car-free day during a Summer Streets event, with Grand Central Terminal visible in the distance.

Process

Guidance on how activations in the right-of-way are initiated, evaluated, permitted, and implemented by DOT and partner organizations.

 

Young musicians from the Brooklyn Music School perform a string ensemble under a red tent on a closed street, with colorful brownstones and leafy trees in the background.

Site Context

Identifies the primary types of spaces where activations occur—roadways, sidewalks, plazas, and barriers—and outlines the characteristics that guide their appropriate use.

 

People enjoy a street curling activity hosted by Brooklyn Curling Club, with an inflatable curling lane set up in a closed-off city street surrounded by spectators and families.

Sizing of Common Activation Components

Outlines the typical dimensions of common activation features, such as tents, tables, and stages, to support effective layout planning.

 

Two women pose playfully on a car-free Manhattan street during a Summer Streets event, one holding a green “GO” sign as runners and cyclists pass by in front of Grand Central Terminal.

Emergency Access and Safety

Highlights safety considerations and requirements to ensure that emergency access and public protection are maintained during activations.

 

People gather at a shaded rest stop during a Summer Streets event in East Harlem, with cyclists, pedestrians, and a mobility scooter user near tents offering community arts and wellness activities.

Accessibility

Ensures all activation plans prioritize access for individuals with disabilities and incorporate ADA-compliant pathways, seating, and signage.

 

A staff member in an orange shirt takes a photo of a smiling parent and child posing in front of a colorful “NYC” sign during a Summer Streets event.

Staffing, Storage & Maintenance

Describes key logistical considerations to ensure activations are safely managed, appropriately staffed, and well-maintained throughout their duration.

 

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