New York City’s famed Fifth Avenue runs along some of the most iconic sites in Manhattan: the Plaza Hotel, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center — the list goes on and on. And now, a stretch of the 6.2-mile thoroughfare between Bryant Park and Central Park will undergo a major redesign to make the already pedestrian-friendly street even more walkable.
Renderings for the makeover, the first of its kind in the avenue’s 200-year history, were unveiled earlier this month. Proposed improvements include widening sidewalks by nearly 50%, shortening crosswalks and adding lights for increased safety, reducing the number of traffic lanes from five to three, and installing more greenery. The schematic designs are expected to be completed by summer 2025.
“People across the globe identify Fifth Avenue as a premier destination for strolling and shopping. But its larger-than-life reputation means that its sidewalks have reached their capacity, hosting more people per hour in peak seasons than Madison Square Garden,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a statement.
“By expanding sidewalks, we can turn this avenue into an iconic boulevard, a place for all, for all hours and especially for pedestrians — who can now safely stay on sidewalks rather than navigate cars to get by and through,” she continued. “But this isn’t only for today — it’s for tomorrow, a verdant, sustainable boulevard to grow with our city.”
In addition to expanding the sidewalks, hundreds of new trees and planters will be placed along the avenue, providing additional shading to protect against heat; stormwater infrastructure will also be added to prevent flooding. The project is expected to pay for itself in under five years due to increased tax revenue.
Currently, Fifth Avenue is 100 feet wide, yet despite 70% of all traffic on the street being pedestrian, only 46% of the space is reserved specifically for walking. On a typical day, around 5,500 people stroll a block every hour, and during the holidays, that number balloons to a whopping 23,000 people: the equivalent of a sold-out Madison Square Garden plus 4,000 more.
The redesign draws inspiration from the avenue’s own historic landmarks and art deco influences as well as other iconic streets like the Champs Elysees in Paris; Calle Serrano in Madrid; Bond, Regent, and Oxford Streets in London; and Ginza in Tokyo.
“Locals and visitors use this bustling corridor to commute, shop, and sightsee; it just makes sense to strategically design it with those needs in mind,” said Jackson Chabot, director of organizing and advocacy for the not-for-profit Open Plans. “The wide range of tools — wider sidewalks, traffic calming, curb extensions, loading zones, lighting, plants, and more — will improve nearly every aspect of how Fifth Avenue functions and feels, which we know boosts commerce, community, health, and happiness.”
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