12 Big Ideas for the New York City of the Future

Faced with a surging population and a need for big new ideas, Crain's recently tasked 12 design and planning firms to conjure up creative ideas for the city.

1 minute read

November 2, 2016, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


As a companion piece to a recent big feature re-examining the legacy of Robert Moses, Crain's New York Business has produced a roundtable discussion, of sorts, about potential big ideas for the big city. The premise of the exercise: "The city has not completed projects on the scale of Robert Moses since his tenure. It's time for New York to think big again."

According to article, with the exercise if especially helpful during the cityss current trend of population growth, which has the city heading toward the 9 million mark.

The article asked "a group of leading architects, designers and real estate experts to offer up some of their visions for the city’s future.

  • Gensler
  • FXFOWLE
  • Curtis + Ginsberg
  • Perkins+Will
  • Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
  • AECOM
  • Dattner
  • Wachtel Missry LLP and Kohn Pedersen Fox
  • Design Trust for Public Space
  • SLCE Architects
  • ODA New York
  • Perkins Eastman

The ideas range in variety from underpass plazas, new subway lines, a suspended tram, and a rezoning. Snazzy renderings are included.

Sunday, October 30, 2016 in Crain's New York Business

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Streetcar and bus stopped at station on Market Street in San Francisco with Ferry Building visible in background.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street

If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

1 hour ago - San Francisco Examiner

Parklet with wooden benches and flower boxes on street in Ireland.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces

Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

3 hours ago - The New York Times