Plazas greater than 10,000 square feet have a maximum obstruction limit of 50% of the plaza area. Maximum extent of obstruction: Plazas less than 10,000 square feet have a maximum obstruction of 40% of the plaza area. Plazas may generally not be sunken below street level however plazas fronting on steeply sloping streets – between 2.5% and 5.0% grade change along the length of the plaza – are accorded additional flexibility in accommodating elevation changes and may have an elevation up to 1 foot below the level of the adjacent sidewalk. To permit additional flexibility in the design of large public plazas, a maximum of 20% of public plazas greater than 10,000 square feet in size, may be permitted to have an elevation up to 4 feet above the level of the adjacent sidewalk, provided that such elevated area is located more than 25 feet from the sidewalk (street) line. Minor changes in elevation, not to exceed 2 feet above the level of the adjacent sidewalk, are permitted. The regulations now require that public plazas should generally be located at the same level of adjoining sidewalks and streets. Plazas with dramatic differences in elevation between sidewalks and plazas lessen their usability, attractiveness, and perception of safety.
The 2009 text amendment clarified that the clear, unobstructed area is measured perpendicular to the street line and that other amenities such as planting walls and water features are permitted to be greater than two feet in height, as long as such amenities are within three feet of a plaza wall. The remaining 50% of the sidewalk frontage may contain obstructions such as fixed and moveable seating, plantings and trees, light stanchions, public space signage, trash receptacles or other design elements that are permitted within public plazas and are under two feet in height. In addition, plazas that front on a street intersection are required to maintain a clear area within 15 feet of the intersection.
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The sidewalk frontage of a public plaza is required to have a minimum 50% of its area free of obstructions. To facilitate access into public plazas from adjacent streets and to enliven the areas where public plazas meet the sidewalk, there are certain regulations applicable to the area within the first 15 feet of a public plaza called the “sidewalk frontage”. Review of existing plazas has demonstrated that plaza usability is significant determined by the relationship between the sidewalk and plaza. To ensure that minor portions not located on the street frontage are well-integrated with the major portion and provide valuable additional plaza area, such areas are required to have a width to depth ratio of at least 3:1 and to have their longest dimension oriented along the edge of the major portion, as illustrated in the diagram below. Minor portions are permitted to be smaller and less fully visible than the major portion of the public plaza, provided that the minor portions are directly adjacent to the major portion, are not less than 15 feet in width and depth, and are fully visible when viewed from the major portion.
Such minor portions provide additional flexibility in building and plaza design, such as chamfered corners and small recesses, which enhance the attractiveness, openness, and variation of public plazas. As described above, the regulations permit variation from standards related to dimensions and visibility for up to 25% of the public plaza area, referred to as the minor portion of the public plaza.
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