Governors Island is a 172-acre island in New York Harbor that was formerly a military base. It opened to the public in 2005 and is now managed by the Trust for Governors Island and the National Park Service. The document discusses the strategy used to transform Governors Island into a vibrant public space for New York City. This included listening to public feedback, utilizing existing buildings and open space, offering free programming and permits, and incrementally developing new parks and attractions over time. As a result, visitation and public programming have significantly increased each year, making Governors Island a popular shared public resource 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,
totalling 1.4M SqFt
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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

8. 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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9. • What should happen here? And
more importantly, what should
happen first?
• What does New York City not
have?*
*and does it make sense on an island?
Instead we thought about:
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*

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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.

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Lesson 1:
It’s all about the customer, stupid.

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The Customer = The Public
In our world

13. • 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.

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

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Understand your assets.
Lesson 2:

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Act on it.
A flexible, free space for
public programming.

20. Open ideas Friendly
bureaucracy
Curation
a.k.a. The Spaghetti Strategy
Funding
How we approach programming:

21. A citywide audience and platform
Social media
DIY graphic
designPress
Island as a
magnet
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22. 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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24. CONFIDENTIAL 24

25. 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

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Market share is priceless.
Lesson 3:

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In our case, the psychological
market share of an entire city.

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Have a strategy and stick to it.
Lesson 4:

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 Expanded public access and early signature uses
 Public investment in stabilization and
infrastructure
 Multi-phase, mixed-use development strategy
 Early creation of new world-class park and public
spaces
Circa October 2006

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Execution is All.
Think Big, Act Small.
Lesson 5:

33. Maira Kalman
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A visitor had an idea.….

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We went shopping…

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We demolished some buildings…

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

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

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

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If you (your organization) was to
disappear tomorrow would it
matter?
Lesson 6:

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

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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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Indifference curves
matter….sometimes
Lesson 7:

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Governors Island is New York’s
shared space for art and play.
Created by and for New Yorkers