Governors Island, a 172-acre site in New York Harbor, has transformed from a closed military base to a vibrant public space since its opening in 2005. Managed by the Trust for Governors Island, the island hosts diverse cultural and educational programs, encouraging community engagement through open programming spaces. Efforts include creating unique public spaces and engaging visitors with accessible amenities and programming, positioning the island as a cultural hub for New Yorkers.

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Creating New York City’s
Shared Space
for Art and Play:
The Story of Governors
Island

2. Governors Island basic facts
• 172-acre island in the middle of New York Harbor
• Sits 800 yards from Manhattan and 300 yards from
Brooklyn
• Former military base, closed to public its entire history
• Accessible only by boat
• First opened to the public in 2005
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4. Governors Island Facts
• In 2003, 150 acres of
Governors Island transferred
to New York, now managed
by The Trust for Governors
Island
• Remaining 22 acres of Island
declared a National
Monument, managed by the
National Park Service
• Deed to the Island prohibits
residential housing and
gambling
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6. Historic District: The Ice Cream
• Northern half of the
island is 92 acre
Historic District,
protected by
national and local
landmark laws
• More than 52 vacant
landmark buildings,
totaling 1.4M Sq Ft
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7. South Island: The Cone
• 80 acres of flat, featureless landfill
• New park required, new buildings
and uses allowed
• Statue of Liberty views
• Dozens of derelict buildings
• Obsolete infrastructure
• Closed to the public

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Our mission:
To transform Governors Island into a
vibrant resource for NYC with
extraordinary public space,
educational, not-for-profit and
commercial facilities.

9. In 2006, the question was:
What will Governors Island be?
Sometimes phrased as:
“Where is the master plan?”
“Is anything ever going to happen there?”
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10. • What does NYC not have?*
• What should happen first?
• Why would anyone come here
on a Sunday?
Instead we asked:
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*
* And does it make sense on an island?

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Lead redevelopment with arts, culture
and exceptional design.
Our Answer:

12. Open House KnishHammocks
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13. NYC is the cultural capital of the world.
What does it not have?
NYC is the world’s cultural capital.

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A flexible, free space for
public programming.

15. “If you build it they will come.”
encourage
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16. Open ideas Friendly
bureaucracy
Curation
a.k.a. The Spaghetti Strategy
Funding
How we approach programming:

17. OpenHouseGI
150,000 SF of indoor space and 25 acres of
outdoor space available free of charge
• Two dozen former officers’ homes
• Open, transparent permit process online
• Free for organizations offering free public programs
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18. A citywide audience and platform
Social media
DIY graphic
designPress
Island as a
magnet
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19. A Typical Day: Saturday, June 21 2014
Make Music New
York’s Porch Stomp
“A Curious Invasion”
in Hammock Grove
FIGMENT’s mini
golf and treehouse
“15
Minute
Hamlet”
River to River
Festival Dance
Performance
A dozen indoor
exhibits
Compost Learning
Center workshops FIGMENT pavilion
LMCC’s Trisha Brown
exhibition
Spontaneous
Interventions
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21. CONFIDENTIAL 21

22. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2011 2012 2013 2014
NumberofProgrammingOrganizations
Growth in number of organizations presenting

23. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Theater and Dance
Productions
Indoor exhibits Special events Open rehersals and
studios
Workshops
Growth in visitor experiences offered
2011
2012
2013
2014

24. 0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
TotalVisitation
Year
Growth in Governors Island’s popularity
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25. OpenHouseGI includes the nascent and established
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• Performances range from Hedgepig Theater’s “15 Minute Hamlet” to Third Rail,
the Lincoln Center Festival
• Exhibitions range from 4Heads and the Typewriter Project to the International
Center of Photography, New York Historical Society, Cooper Hewitt
Brooklyn Public LibraryFraming NYC

26. Space and platform for groups with no other presence
in city or “home base”
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• Nearly half of organizations have no permanent home elsewhere
• Half new to the Island each year
Mu Math’s workshops Governors Island Art Fair, annual exhibit

27. “[Governors Island] is one of the few places in New York City where artists can
have the time and space to collaborate with a site and be in a conversation with
the public. It’s a perfect match, really.”
- Jennine Willett, artistic director of Third Rail,
as quoted in The New York Times
Third Rail’s “Roadside
Attraction”

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OpenHouseGI is the platform where
the City’s cultural communities
present, experiment, and reach new
audiences.
Governors Island is now a lively and
loved destination where New Yorkers
encounter all forms of culture.

29. Open House KnishHammocks
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Exceptional design
•International design competition 2007
•Selected West 8, internationally acclaimed firm
•Adriaan Geuze brilliant designer
•Dramatic master plan creating artificial hills
•Won awards and critics’ plaudits
•Model of resiliency
•First phase opened 2014, new phase 2017

31. • Solicited and collected more than
3,000 Post-It™ notes
• People said:
• “Lots more hammocks!”
• “Keep it car-free”
• “Outdoor sculpture
everywhere!”
• “Yay for biking!”
• “Playgrounds for big people”
We listen to people.

32. WORD CLOUDWe show the public that what you
say matters.

33. We learn from what you do.
• Observing is
just as
crucial as
listening.

34. Most importantly,
we experiment and
improvise.
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35. Maira Kalman
35
A visitor had an idea.….

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We went shopping…

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We demolished some buildings…

38. Picnic Point, July 2009
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We opened Picnic Point…

39. Hammock Grove, Park and Public Space Master Plan, 2010
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And designed “Hammock Grove.”

40. Hammock Grove, 2014
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Now the public enjoys it.

41. Open House KnishHammocks
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Everyone talks about engagement.

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Knish
noun /k(ə)-ˈniSH/
Yiddish: a small round or square of dough stuffed with a filling (as potato) and
baked or fried
We act with knishes.

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75% of our visitors live in NYC
• We do a lot of outreach to
invite people from every
community.
• And make you feel welcome
when you are here.

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Food is not just essential.
It’s welcoming.
And comforting.
And part of culture.

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Vegan and organic BBQ pulled pork
It must vary in
taste points…
Organic Ice Cream Mister Softee
And price points.

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Thaietnamese Fusion
It must be
flavorful...
Mahi Mahi fish tacos
Hot Dogs
And familiar.
PB&J

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It must be for everyone.

50. Kosher knishes.
Hot Knosh,
Governors Island, 2010

51. Hot Nosh was necessary, but insufficient.
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Schnitzi’s food truck , Sundays on Governors Island 2014
Now we are truly Kosher..

53. Be open Be welcomingImprovise
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Find your Knish.