Privately Owned Public Space Overview - DCP

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NYC Rezoning Commitments Tracker


Overview

Current Standards

History

Resources

POPS Signage deadline overdue – Required by Local Law

As of early 2022, all POPS must display public space signage with the POPS logo and other required information such as opening hours and contact information. Owners of POPS missing the correct signage must submit an application for new signage to DCP.

Find application instructions and associated deadlines on DCP’s applicant portal here.

This webpage offers an overview of New York City’s Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), which are outdoor and indoor spaces provided for public enjoyment by private owners in exchange for bonus floor area or waivers, an incentive first introduced into New York City’s zoning regulations in 1961. Explore the city’s 550+ POPS through our interactive map; find detailed explanations of our current standards; and discover how POPS have evolved throughout the city’s history.

Remember, POPS are public spaces owned and required to be maintained by private owners. If you have any questions or complaints about a POPS, please call 311 or fill out the complaint form.

What are POPS?
Privately owned public spaces, also known by the acronym POPS, are spaces dedicated to public use and enjoyment and which are owned and maintained by private property owners, in exchange for bonus floor area or waivers. More than 590 POPS provide a myriad of opportunities to sit, relax, people watch, eat, meet others – in other words, to partake and enjoy in urban life in one of the world’s greatest cities. POPS come in many shapes and sizes, both outdoor and indoor, and offer a variety of amenities. POPS are the result of City zoning regulations aimed at ensuring the densest areas of our city offer a measure of open public space and greenery. Thus POPS are important amenities for New Yorkers, commuters, and visitors.

To date, over 590 POPS have been built at over 380 buildings across New York City. These public spaces are primarily located in Manhattan, but are increasingly being developed in the other boroughs, particularly Brooklyn and Queens, as the commercial office markets expand. Combined, POPS provide over 3.8 million square feet of additional public space in the City – equivalent to roughly nine Bryant Parks or Union Squares!

The Department’s interactive map provides an overview of all POPS in the city, and includes information on location, size, hours of operation, amenities – and much more.

POPS Program
The POPS Program dates to 1961, when New York City’s Zoning Resolution was last overhauled. Then an innovative program, POPS have stood the test of time, and today there are more than 590 POPS, mostly in Manhattan’s dense urban core. When first introduced as a zoning tool, the program allowed developers to build more usable space (also known as floor area) or receive special waivers for a building if they also created plazas or arcades that are open to the public.

Since 1961, other types of outdoor and indoor spaces have been introduced in the Zoning Resolution as the Department of City Planning expanded the program and refined amenities and operational standards to meet public needs, changing tastes and technological advances. Learn about how POPS and their associated zoning regulations have evolved by clicking the “History” tab above. Today, two specific types of POPS, public plazas and arcades, can be built in exchange for bonus floor area.

POPS are required to be provided and maintained by the property owner in perpetuity according to the regulations they were built pursuant to and any City approvals.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all POPS serve the public, and continually enhances design standards so that POPS are of the highest quality, useful and inviting for the public. Our current public plaza standards can be found in Zoning Resolution Section 37-70.

Public Plaza Design Principles
Our current design standards are informed by decades of experience and are guided by the following principles:

Open and inviting at the sidewalk

Easily seen and understood as open to the public

Conveys openness and maintains clear sightlines through low design elements and generous paths leading into the plaza

Provides seating and amenities adjacent to the public sidewalk

Accessible

Located at the same elevation as the sidewalk

Enhances pedestrian circulation

Safe and secure

Contains easily accessible paths for ingress and egress

Oriented and visually connected to the street

Well lit

Comfortable and engaging

Promotes use and comfort by providing essential amenities

Accommodates both small groups and individuals with a variety of well-designed, comfortable seating

Balances open areas with greenery and trees

Learn about specific components of our design standards by referring to Zoning Resolution Section 37-70, or by viewing the “Current Standards” tab.

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