Street Design Manual Exhibit at Fordham University

The new exhibit on display at the Ildiko Butler Gallery at Fordham University at Lincoln Center showcases the NYC Street Design Manual, a book first published in 2009 by the NYC Department of Transportation. Most recently updated in 2020, the Street Design Manual is a document that has made New York City safer for pedestrians, bikers, and other people traveling without a car and has transformed the landscape, bringing beauty and style to the streets of New York. The manual is a critical resource for those working on projects in New York City’s public right-of-way and is helpful to organizations such as ours as we consider ways to improve the neighborhood. Co-sponsored by Fordham University’s Department of Visual Arts and the NYC DOT, the Street Design Manual exhibit aims to highlight the form and influence of the manual. 

The NYC Street Design Manual has been updated multiple times and is the authoritative citywide standard for the construction of sidewalk extensions, bike lanes, and all manner of roadside developments. The exhibit on display at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus on 113 W 60th Street and Columbus Avenue prominently displays iconic graphics featured in the manual, which have become ubiquitous on the streets of New York. The exhibit features infographics explaining the core goals of the Street Design Manual. It also includes an installation of four sets of tables and chairs reminiscent of those available to the public at outdoor malls and parks where people can sit, chat or do work, inviting a level of immersion to the exhibit. The exhibit is free and will remain open to the public at the Ildiko Butler Gallery until February 2, 2023. 

We were pleased to attend the opening reception of the Street Design Manual exhibit on November 28 with our friends and colleagues from DOT, including Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. 

Lincoln Square BID intern Matthias Lai, a student at Fordham University at Lincoln Center, wrote this story.