Press Release: DCP Creates Searchable Online "POPS" Map - DCP

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For Immediate Release
Sept. 4, 2018

Contacts:
Rachaele Raynoff, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

DCP CREATES SEARCHABLE ONLINE ‘POPS’ MAP

Privately Owned Public Spaces – or POPS – are spaces open to the public sprinkled across NYC’s most-crowded business and residential neighborhoods; Map makes information and location of 550+ POPS easily accessible

Sept. 4, 2018 – Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago today announced the launch of a new interactive map of New York City’s Privately Owned Public Spaces, or POPS. Access the map by visiting https://capitalplanning.nyc.gov/pops.

“Tucked away in our busiest and densest business districts, privately owned public spaces, or POPS, are places to sit and relax, eat lunch and people watch. Whether near your office, a hospital or home, these indoor and outdoor spaces provide a respite from our bustling city. The POPS map is intended to take the mystery out of their location and function,” Director Lago said.

This new online tool maps the more than 550 POPS in New York City, providing information on the required hours of access and any amenities required to be at each of them, such as tables and chairs.

While they are public spaces, POPS are owned and maintained by private property owners in exchange for taller/bulkier buildings or other waivers.

Introduced in the 1960s, POPS result from zoning regulations that encourage private property owners to offer a welcome measure of open public space and greenery in the densest areas of our city. Today, more than 550 POPS have been built on the property of 350 commercial buildings. These public spaces are primarily located in Manhattan, but are increasingly being developed in other boroughs, particularly Brooklyn and Queens, as the city’s commercial office markets expand. Find out more about POPS on our recently updated POPS webpage: http://nyc.gov/pops.

The POPS map offers search filters that let you:

Locate a nearby POPS by address

Select and view all POPS in a community board

Find the type and size of a POPS at any given location

Learn the hours of access and what amenities are to be provided

Discover the year that the POPS was built and who designed it

The digital map will be updated regularly, including new POPS and information about renovations.

POPS data is the latest addition to the NYC Facilities Explorer, an online tool that aggregates information about facilities and program sites in New York City that are owned, operated, funded, licensed or certified by a City, State or Federal agency in New York City. Data is broken down into seven categories:

Health and Human Services

Education, Child Welfare, and Youth

Parks, Gardens, and Historical Sites

Libraries and Cultural Programs

Public Safety, Emergency Services, and Administration of Justice

Core Infrastructure and Transportation

Administration of Government

NYC Facilities Explorer uses more than 35,000 records from 43 different public data sources provided by City, State, and Federal agencies. The Department of City Planning continually looks for more public information about facilities to keep this e-tool updated.

Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.