Signs of Spring: Grand Army Plaza Edition

Saturday Greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn

Bklink: Ideas for Grand Army Plaza

If you want to help reinvent Grand Army Plaza and help create a kinder, gentler place, then here are some questions you can answer.–Streets Blog

Upcoming: Second Chance Saturday Clothing Recycling

We posted about this before the holidays, but now that the clothing recycling program at Grand Army Plaza is starting, we figured that a reminder couldn’t hurt. Important points from the organizers:

This pilot builds on the already successful project at the Union Square Greenmarket, where over 27,000 pounds of clothing were collected-diverting them from landfills and incinerators. The donation of these items helps support Goodwill’s valuable programs, reduces export costs, and allows for the reuse of valuable clothing and textiles…Textile collections start January 5th, 2008 and will occur every Saturday through March 29, 2008, from 8 A.M to 4 P.M. at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket. Acceptable donations include used clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets, towels, bedding, and linens. Tax receipts will be available upon request. The donation of these items helps support Goodwill’s many programs that assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

Sounds like a superb opportunity to clear out those drawers and closets.

Cool Thing: Clothing Recycling at Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket

There’s a clothing recycling project coming to the Greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza after the New Year. It’s called “Second Chance Saturdays: Recycle your Unwanted Clothing and Textiles” and it will start on Saturday, January 5. Per the email about it:

This pilot builds on the already successful project at the Union Square Greenmarket, where over 27,000 pounds of clothing were collected-diverting them from landfills and incinerators. The donation of these items helps support Goodwill’s valuable programs, reduces export costs, and allows for the reuse of valuable clothing and textiles…Textile collections start January 5th, 2008 and will occur every Saturday through March 29, 2008, from 8 A.M to 4 P.M. at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket. Acceptable donations include used clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets, towels, bedding, and linens. Tax receipts will be available upon request. The donation of these items helps support Goodwill’s many programs that assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

The pilot program has been dubbed “Second Chance Saturdays,” and is an expansion of the successful “Material Mondays” textile collection program initiated at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan over the summer and is aimed at helping the city and the Department of Sanitation meet the Mayor’s aggressive recycling goals.

Sounds like a great program.

Brookyule #2: Grand Army Plaza Decorations

Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
[Photo courtesy of Idle Type/flickr]

Help Re-Invent Grand Army Plaza

There’s an interesting competition underway to solicit ideas for reenvisioning and reimagining Grand Army Plaza. Per Streets Blog:

The Grand Army Plaza Coalition (GAPCo) and the Design Trust for Public Space are launching an “Ideas Competition” called Reinventing Grand Army Plaza. Building on GAPCo’s on-going effort to re-envision this historic Brooklyn crossroads, the Ideas Competition will solicit new, creative proposals for Grand Army Plaza’s re-design. Top submissions will be exhibited in the summer of 2008 at the Brooklyn Public Library or the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

GAPCo is soliciting ideas to put together a briefing book for those entering the competition. Click over to Streets Blog for all the information.

Fun Vid: The Puppets in the Grand Army Plaza Arch

This vid was brought to our attention by the producer, who just posted it on YouTube. It’s a fun look inside the Arch at Grand Army Plaza, with puppets that have been stored there.

Brooklyn Public Library Fountains Popular

We finally paid a visit to the recently completed new plaza in front of the Brooklyn Library. It’s pleasant, although it looks like it could use more greenery in order to prevent it from become a sun-reflecting frying pan in the summer. We are not trying to nitpick, but we couldn’t help notice that the new fountains that were installed must have proven popular with both adults and children as they had to be chained off and signs had to be put up telling people to stay out. Again, we wonder what the designers might have been thinking to install bubbling water in an expanse of stone and concrete in the middle of Brooklyn and not expect people to walk through them? It rather reminds us of the way the fountain in front of the Brooklyn Museum was barricaded and put under guard when the museum first opened because people were, well, playing in the fountain. It reminded us of our belief that architecture and planning students should be required to take a full year course called “Travel the City and Watch How People Actually Use Things.” All that having been said, it’s a nice space.

Fast Progress on Grand Army Plaza Anti-Death Measures

Will the pedestrian safety enhancements to Grand Army Plaza make life there potentially longer than is currently the case? Given how quickly the work is being done, everyone will find out sooner rather than later. The Department of Transportation’s plans–which are the result of hard work by the Grand Army Plaza Coalition–will include 11,000 square feet of new, landscaped pedestrian islands, a separated bike path, new crosswalks and pedestrian signals. There’s a video of the official announcement last week over at Streets Blog. The work is clearly being fast-tracked, as crews were out over the weekend. One can only hope the work will make crossing the street at Grand Army Plaza safer. As anyone that’s tried knows, it can be a harrowing experience.

Gowanus Lounge Photo Du Jour, Part II: Apples

Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn