New York's "squares" are actual squares

[Joe Bonkers]

In New York, Madison Square, Herald Square, and Times Square are not true squares but simply the point at which Broadway crosses an avenue (Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh, respectively).

What if some early Baron Haussmann had come up with a formalized design for New York City that turned the "squares" into real squares - that interrupt the street and cause the streets to encircle them, and that have some sort of small park or at least statuary in the middle?

(This probably would require a pre-1900 POD, so I put it here.)

 

[Mina-van-Mako]

In New York, Madison Square, Herald Square, and Times Square are not true squares but simply the point at which Broadway crosses an avenue (Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh, respectively).

What if some early Baron Haussmann had come up with a formalized design for New York City that turned the "squares" into real squares - that interrupt the street and cause the streets to encircle them, and that have some sort of small park or at least statuary in the middle?

(This probably would require a pre-1900 POD, so I put it here.)

Maybe a post 1900 POD would be Jane Jacobs hired as head of NYC's urbanism, advising them to cut the stream of cars and give an advantage to public transports, thus reducing pollution.

In a PoD with Jane Jacobs intervention would involve a "Timesquarisation" of those squares, trying to get the maximum attractivity at every hour of the day, but involving several gardens, statuaries, and public places. The change would come progressively from 70's to the Oil crisis, and then I don't know.

It's by far not the onyl PoD, but I think it's an interesting way

 

[The Tai-Pan]

Surely land hunger would have devoured them later?

 

[Petros >Peter Fergus<]

Surely land hunger would have devoured them later?

What kept Central Park intact?