According to the New York Times, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is set to announce the transformation of the city's iconic Broadway Avenue and Times Square into a seven block, pedestrian-only plaza.  The new space is expected to dramatically expand space for tourists and theater-goers in the area and actually improve traffic flow.   

This is not New York's first experiment with reclaiming streets for pedestrian-only spaces.  In 2008, the city took a pedestrian-hostile crossing across Broadway and 23rd Avenue and created a vibrant public space, shorter street crossings, and new bike lanes.  The Livable Streets Initiative, an online community working to create sustainable cities, shot a short film documenting the changes in the physical and social environment around the new Madison Square.

Madison Square, before and after. Image: Streetsblog.com

For more information and pictures on the plan for Times Square, check out Streetsblog.com's coverage.