Recommendations Issued for Rebuilding Lower Manhattan

New York New Visions, a coalition of 20 architecture, planning and design organizations, has released its preliminary report on the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, with a series of recommendations that the group hopes will influence the development decisions to be made in the next few months.

The 54-page report calls for a mix of commercial, residential, cultural and recreational spaces, environmentally friendly design and construction, improved mass transit access to Lower Manhattan, and the creation of temporary memorials while a "formal, transparent and open process" is launched to come up with permanent memorials.

The coalition, organized by the American Institute of Architects’ New York chapter, has met regularly since shortly after Sept. 11 to explore a wide range of issues tied to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. Those meetings formed the basis for the report, which was presented to Gov. George Pataki, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation, as well as other elected officials, government agencies and civic groups.

The full report can be downloaded from the New York New Visions website (http://nynv.aiga.org). A one-page summary of the group’s recommendations can also be found on the site.