New York City has selected a landscape architect to lead the pedestrian-focused transformation of Park Avenue. Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday announced that an 18-month contract has been awarded to Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners to redesign a portion of the iconic corridor between East 46th and East 57th Streets. The project will widen the median and install pedestrian upgrades, new seating, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities.
This stretch of Park Avenue sits above the Grand Central Terminal train shed, which is currently undergoing a major capital rehabilitation led by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad. The above-ground revitalization will unfold in tandem with the infrastructure upgrades taking place below.
Rodriguez called the project a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the iconic corridor, highlighting the rare opportunity that the construction of the train shed provides.
“We are thrilled to put the ‘park’ back in Park Avenue with this transformative redesign of one of Manhattan’s most iconic streets,” Rodriguez said. “This is a unique opportunity to make Park Avenue greener, safer, and more pedestrian-friendly—while honoring the character that makes it one of New York City’s most recognizable streets.”
He continued: “With the ongoing reconstruction of the train shed, we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reimagine this corridor for the next century, and we look forward to engaging with the community to bring this vision to life.”
The public engagement process marks the next major step in Park Avenue’s redesign. As part of its 18-month contract, Starr Whitehouse will work with the DOT to host a series of outreach events to gain input from New Yorkers, commuters, local businesses, and other stakeholders. This feedback will help shape the final design and ensure the project reflects the community’s needs.
The firm will use this feedback to develop a “kit of parts,” a customizable set of design elements like landscaping, seating, public art, and other pedestrian-focused amenities to integrate into the redesigned median.
Starr Whitehouse will also create conceptual plans for drainage, irrigation, and pedestrian safety measures, all of which will be included in a final report outlining the community-informed design guidelines.
The project is funded by the East Midtown Governing Group, established under the 2017 Greater East Midtown Rezoning. The rezoning created a framework requiring new commercial developments and transfers of development rights to contribute to nearby public realm improvements.
Park Avenue’s redesign began with a 2018 competition sponsored by the Fisher Brothers to transform the corridor’s medians. Participants submitted ideas ranging from a huge aquarium to a High Line-style walkway. The winner was “Park Park,” which transformed the iconic thoroughfare with a series of raised platforms to hold concert space, art galleries, a restaurant, and more, as 6sqft reported.
In January 2022, City Council Member Keith Powers announced new plans to bring life to Park Avenue’s medians. The plan aimed to gradually transform the avenue’s malls into “new, world-class, active open space” over a 20-year period as Metro-North continues its Grand Central Terminal Train Shed rehabilitation project.
In August 2024, DOT released a request for proposals (RFP) seeking designs to transform the traffic medians on Park Avenue between East 46th and East 57th Streets with more green space and pedestrian-friendly areas.
The redesign project is part of the Adams administration’s broader effort to expand public space in Midtown. Other projects currently in the works or underway include the “Broadway Vision” plan, which aims to transform Broadway into a pedestrian-friendly corridor from the southwest corner of Central Park to Union Square Park, as well as a similar plan to revamp Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park.
The Fifth Avenue plan would be the first major alteration to the iconic retail corridor in its 200-year history, envisioning the boulevard as a grand shopping street similar to the Champs-Élysées in Paris and Ginza in Tokyo. The project received another $250 million in funding in May, bringing the total investment to $400 million.
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