§ 37-53 Design Standards for Pedestrian Circulation Spaces
ZR § 37-53
(a)Arcade Arcades shall not be subject to the provisions of Sections 12-10 (DEFINITIONS) and 37-80 (ARCADES). In lieu thereof, the provisions of this Section shall apply. An arcade is a continuous covered space that adjoins and extends along a front lot line, is at the same elevation as the adjoining sidewalk, is open for its entire length to the sidewalk except for columns and is accessible to the public at all times. An arcade shall be provided on the wide street frontage of a zoning lot of a development or enlargement where the zoning lot lies directly adjacent to an existing arcade on a wide street, except where an existing building without an arcade extends along a portion of the wide street front lot line of the zoning lot containing the development or enlargement. Where an arcade abuts another arcade, there shall be a clear, unobstructed passage between both arcades. An arcade shall meet the following requirements:
(1)Dimensions An arcade with columns shall have a minimum clear width of 10 feet, exclusive of all columns, and a maximum width of 15 feet, inclusive of columns. No column width shall be greater than five feet. Columns shall be spaced along the street with a minimum clear width between columns of 15 feet. An arcade shall have a clear height of not less than 12 feet and not more than 30 feet.
(i)On an interior lot or a through lot fronting on a narrow street, an arcade without columns is permitted only if:
(b)the entire front lot line shall be unobstructed for the same depth of the arcade, except for that portion of the front lot line occupied by an existing building.
(ii)On an interior lot or a through lot fronting on a narrow street, an arcade with columns is permitted only if it connects directly to an existing arcade on an adjacent zoning lot, matching it in width and alignment, and has a continuous, unobstructed minimum length beyond the existing adjacent arcade of at least 100 feet or, with the exception of the width of driveways for the required loading berths located at the side lot line of the zoning lot, is unobstructed for the full length of the frontage of the development, whichever is greater.
(iii)On a corner lot fronting on a narrow street, an arcade is permitted only if it extends for the full length of the street frontage, with the exception of a driveway for a required loading berth located at the side lot line of the zoning lot, or if the arcade provides unobstructed pedestrian flow along such entire frontage in combination with one or more of the following other spaces with which it connects at one or both ends: a corner arcade, a publicly accessible open area, an off-street rail mass transit access improvement, an intersecting sidewalk widening, an intersecting street, a relocated or renovated subway entrance, a through block connection or a through block galleria.
(iv)On a wide street, an arcade shall be permitted, provided that:
(c)in the case of an arcade whose zoning lot occupies less than the entire street frontage between intersecting streets, the arcade connects with an existing arcade of matching width and alignment, a publicly accessible open area on an adjacent zoning lot, so that unobstructed pedestrian flow along the entire block front is provided by the arcade in combination with such existing spaces.
(2)Full block front arcade When a zoning lot occupies a full block front, both ends of the arcade on that street frontage shall be open and accessible directly from the sidewalk of the intersecting street or any other qualifying pedestrian circulation space.
(3)Permitted obstructions Except for building columns, and qualifying exterior wall thickness pursuant to Section 33-23 (Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalents), an arcade shall be free from obstructions of any kind.
(4)Specific prohibitions No vehicular driveways, except as permitted under paragraph (a)(1) (Dimensions) of this Section, parking spaces, passenger drop-offs, loading berths or trash storage facilities are permitted within an arcade, nor shall such facilities be permitted immediately adjacent to an arcade.
(5)Illumination All existing and new arcades shall maintain a minimum level of illumination of not less than five horizontal foot candles between sunset and sunrise.
(d)Corner circulation space A corner circulation space is a small open space on a zoning lot, adjoining the intersection of two streets, at the same elevation as the adjoining sidewalk or sidewalk widening and directly accessible to the public at all times. A corner circulation space shall meet the following requirements:
(e)Relocation or renovation of a subway stair When a development or enlargement is constructed on a zoning lot containing a relocated stairway entrance or entrances to a subway, or an existing stairway entrance or entrances to a subway, and such entrance or entrances are relocated or renovated in accordance with the provisions of Section 37-40 (OFF-STREET RELOCATION OR RENOVATION OF A SUBWAY STAIR), inclusive, one and one-half times the area, measured at street level, of such entrance or entrances may count toward meeting the pedestrian circulation space requirement.
(f)Sidewalk widening A sidewalk widening is a continuous, paved, open area along the front lot line of a zoning lot at the same elevation as the adjoining sidewalk and directly accessible to the public at all times. A sidewalk widening shall be provided on the wide street frontage of a zoning lot of a development or enlargement where all existing buildings on the same block frontage, whether on the same or another zoning lot, provide sidewalk widenings. A sidewalk widening shall meet the following requirements:
(v)if overlapped by the queuing space of a relocated or renovated subway entrance, provided that the queuing space for the entrance leaves at least a five foot uninterrupted width of sidewalk widening along the entire length of the queuing space; or
(vi)by a driveway that is located at a side lot line; however, where the zoning lot has a through block connection, a through block galleria or a through block public plaza at such a side lot line, the location of its driveway is not restricted. The area occupied by the driveway, up to the width of the sidewalk widening, may be counted toward meeting the pedestrian circulation space requirement, provided that there shall be no change of grade within the area of the sidewalk widening.
(g)Transit volumes and improvements to mass transit stations Where transit volumes or improvements to mass transit stations are provided pursuant to the provisions of Article VI, Chapter 6 (Special Regulations Applying Around Mass Transit Stations), each square foot of mass transit access may constitute one square foot of required pedestrian circulation space, not to exceed 3,000 square feet. For the purposes of this paragraph, defined terms include those in Section 66-11 (Definitions).
(h)Through block connection A through block connection is a paved, open or enclosed space providing unobstructed access to the building's main lobby and connecting, in a straight, continuous, unobstructed path, two parallel or nearly parallel streets. Up to a maximum of 3,000 square feet of a through block connection may count toward the minimum pedestrian circulation space requirement. A through block connection shall meet the following requirements:
(vii)A through block connection shall at a minimum be accessible to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the days the building is open for business and shall have posted, in prominent, visible locations at its entrances, signs meeting the standards set forth in paragraph (h)(2)(viii) of this Section.
(viii)A through block connection shall provide the following information for public access at each public entry to the through block connection:
The entry plaque shall be mounted with its center five feet above the elevation of the nearest walkable pavement on a wall or a permanent freestanding post. It shall be placed so that the entire entry plaque is obvious and directly visible without any obstruction, along every line of sight from all paths of pedestrian access to the through block connection, in a position that clearly identifies the entry to the connection.
The above required information shall be permanently affixed on the glass panel of the entry doors of the through block connection clearly facing the direction of pedestrian flow. The information shall be located not higher than six feet or lower than three feet above the level of the pedestrian path at the entry.
