ADVERTISEMENT
11-25-25 | Feature
Scope of Work
MNLA served as the Landscape Architect and urban design planner for the project, leading the visioning and design of the entire corridor in alignment with the BID's larger master plan. Their scope included streetscape design and public realm planning; integration of green infrastructure and sustainable planting strategies; coordination of hardscape elements, including bike lanes, sidewalk expansion, and street furniture; design detailing of elements such as benches, planting beds, and café zones; and collaboration with agencies like the NYCEDC and NYC DOT throughout the design-build process.
Design Method and Process
The Hudson Street project is notable as New York City's first infrastructure improvement to utilize the design-build process - a type of construction delivery method in which one entity (the design-build team) works under a single contract to provide collaborative design and construction services, which has been cited to lead to better communications, efficiency, innovations, and financial incentives for timely performance. The project was completed on time and on budget, despite temporary delays due to COVID-19.
The Landscape Architect's design approach evolved from the broader Hudson Square Streetscape Master Plan. This plan addressed traffic congestion and streetscape with an innovative approach - beautifying public spaces, identifying new open spaces, greening the streets, branding and defining the neighborhood's identity, enhancing the retail environment, and creating a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood that has since been implemented in phases as the district continues to evolve. Outgrowth projects, all led by MNLA, include Freeman Plaza, the renovation of Spring Street Park, Hudson Square tree planting standards, Hudson Houston Plaza, and the reconstruction of Hudson Street.
Big City Challenges
The premise of the Hudson Street project was to eliminate one moving lane of traffic and reduce the widths of the remaining lanes, thereby creating a parking-protected bike lane and widening the west side sidewalk. This widened sidewalk allowed for a second row of street trees as well as wide planting beds, but two challenges arose with this change in roadway geometry. The first was the need to relocate a number of subsurface electrical facilities and the second was to phase the construction such that businesses along the street were disrupted as little as possible. To do this, electrical work was done in the roadway as a stand-alone phase so pedestrian movement was unimpeded. Once the road was done, the sidewalk and planting work was phased, moving northward two blocks at a time. This resulted in a delicate balance of allowing efficiency for the contractor and minimizing disruption
to businesses.
Another premise was to plan for flexibility, as ground floor retail would evolve over time. This meant including enough places for delivery trucks to access retail stores as well as enough sidewalk space for outdoor caf?(C)s to ebb and flow. Using the existing trees as the baseline, the Landscape Architects created large planting beds of varying lengths to allow pedestrian "cut throughs" from sidewalk to curb in relation to the locations of ground-floor retail spaces. The design also held a minimum sidewalk width that could accommodate sidewalk caf?(C)s without impeding north-south pedestrian flows.
Design Details
The final design includes a number of key features that collectively redefine Hudson Street as a neighborhood destination, such as a dedicated parking-protected bike lane that improves cyclist safety and supports multi-modal mobility. Cycling as a mode of transportation is now better supported with 20 new bike parking spaces, enhancing accessibility and convenience. Along the over 2,000 square feet of sidewalk caf?(C) space, pedestrians can take advantage of approximately 170 new seats on custom, modern benches by Streetlife, as offering places to sit and relax contributes to supporting local businesses and boosting outdoor dining.
The streetscape also features over 8,000 square feet of newly planted areas filled with diverse trees, shrubs, and perennials. One hundred of these trees were planted or retrofitted using the BID's award-winning Hudson Square Standard (HSS) for urban forestry and stormwater management. The materials palette, furniture selection, and planting design all reflect the design team's commitment to creating inclusive, enduring, and high-performance public spaces.
Project Outcome
The renovations along Hudson Street showcase the BID's continued efforts - in conjunction with MNLA - to create an attractive, safe, and inviting experience for people who work, visit, and live in Hudson Square. A neighborhood once known for its car congestion near the Holland Tunnel has been transformed into a vibrant and welcoming neighborhood for pedestrians that is full of creative energy.
The Reconstruction of Hudson Street
Reclaiming A Corridor for People and Place
Hudson Street in Manhattan, New York, was a busy corridor dominated by traffic due to its proximity to the Holland Tunnel, a major route leading from Manhattan into New Jersey. New York City-based landscape architecture firm MNLA has worked with the city since 2011 on a community-centered master plan for the Hudson Square neighborhood that has steadily been implemented, leading most recently to the Hudson Street Renovation unveiled in 2022. Changes along nine blocks include a dedicated parking-protected bike lane that improves cyclist safety and supports multi-modal mobility, in addition to amenities like the NYC DOT standard bike racks that encourage cyclists and pedestrians to inhabit the space.
A planted median daylights the crosswalk and protects cyclists from rush-hour traffic. The project features over 8,000 square feet of newly planted areas, like the dividers filled with Coneflowers (Rudbeckia fulgida), Hanelin Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'), and Ivory Prince Hellebore (Helleborus x 'Ivory Prince').
One hundred trees were planted or retrofitted using the Business Improvement District's (BID) award-winning Hudson Square Standard (HSS) for urban forestry and stormwater management. The street is lined with Snowdrift Crab Apples (Malus x 'Snowdrift'), Kentucky Coffeetrees (Gymnocladus dioica 'Espresso'), and Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) surrounded by iron fences whose design is based on the standard NYC Department of Parks & Recreation tree guard fence.
Custom benches by Streetlife offer places for approximately 170 people to sit and relax along the street. Fenced plantings contain trees and perennials like Royal Purple Liriope (Liriope Muscari 'Royal Purple'). The sidewalk is set with Unilock Eco-Priora™ permeable pavers in Dawn Mist and Pebble Taupe.
Square planters containing Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia x 'Natchez') are surrounded by attached bench seating that creates space for residents and the employees of local businesses to enjoy the area. Large armrests serve a double purpose as skateboard deterrents while the trees provide shade and buffer sounds from traffic.
A-C shows three tree planting strategies the team created to implement across the majority of the project. In only a few locations where an underground vault below the sidewalk prevented in-ground planting, 'A' shows the raised planters that were used instead. B&C show the planting beds used across the majority of the project areas with slightly enlarged tree pits and new plantings. D shows a planted pedestrian refuge that at once daylights the intersection, creates a continuous buffer between cyclists and moving vehicles, and reduces the pedestrian crossing distance by 13 feet. PHOTO CREDIT: MNLA
x
1 / 6
2 / 6
3 / 6
4 / 6
5 / 6
6 / 6
In 2022, Hudson Street was unveiled as a newly transformed corridor - a pedestrian-focused, green boulevard that reflects the creative energy of Manhattan's Hudson Square neighborhood. A partnership between the Hudson Square Business Improvement District (BID), New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), and NYC-based landscape architecture firm Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA), the project is a cornerstone of the BID's first 10-year master plan. It represents a major milestone in the evolution of Hudson Square from a car-congested area near the Holland Tunnel into a vibrant, welcoming destination for workers, residents, and visitors alike.
Location and History
Located in Lower Manhattan between Canal and West Houston Streets, Hudson Street has long served as a critical connector. Yet, its identity was historically defined by vehicle congestion and infrastructure geared more toward traffic than place. As part of a broader neighborhood vision spearheaded by the Hudson Square BID, the reconstruction of Hudson Street was identified early on as a key opportunity to reallocate space for pedestrians, introduce green infrastructure, and foster a sense of place.
Project Goals
The reconstruction aimed to address four interconnected goals. The first was to enhance multi-modal mobility and pedestrian safety. The second was closely related in its intent to unlock public space for everyday use and enjoyment. A third goal involved improving environmental performance and long-term sustainability, and the fourth goal was to support local business vitality through infrastructure improvements. The resulting streetscape is a balanced and flexible public realm that prioritizes access, safety, and neighborhood identity.
Scope of Work
MNLA served as the Landscape Architect and urban design planner for the project, leading the visioning and design of the entire corridor in alignment with the BID's larger master plan. Their scope included streetscape design and public realm planning; integration of green infrastructure and sustainable planting strategies; coordination of hardscape elements, including bike lanes, sidewalk expansion, and street furniture; design detailing of elements such as benches, planting beds, and café zones; and collaboration with agencies like the NYCEDC and NYC DOT throughout the design-build process.
Design Method and Process
The Hudson Street project is notable as New York City's first infrastructure improvement to utilize the design-build process - a type of construction delivery method in which one entity (the design-build team) works under a single contract to provide collaborative design and construction services, which has been cited to lead to better communications, efficiency, innovations, and financial incentives for timely performance. The project was completed on time and on budget, despite temporary delays due to COVID-19.
The Landscape Architect's design approach evolved from the broader Hudson Square Streetscape Master Plan. This plan addressed traffic congestion and streetscape with an innovative approach - beautifying public spaces, identifying new open spaces, greening the streets, branding and defining the neighborhood's identity, enhancing the retail environment, and creating a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood that has since been implemented in phases as the district continues to evolve. Outgrowth projects, all led by MNLA, include Freeman Plaza, the renovation of Spring Street Park, Hudson Square tree planting standards, Hudson Houston Plaza, and the reconstruction of Hudson Street.
Big City Challenges
The premise of the Hudson Street project was to eliminate one moving lane of traffic and reduce the widths of the remaining lanes, thereby creating a parking-protected bike lane and widening the west side sidewalk. This widened sidewalk allowed for a second row of street trees as well as wide planting beds, but two challenges arose with this change in roadway geometry. The first was the need to relocate a number of subsurface electrical facilities and the second was to phase the construction such that businesses along the street were disrupted as little as possible. To do this, electrical work was done in the roadway as a stand-alone phase so pedestrian movement was unimpeded. Once the road was done, the sidewalk and planting work was phased, moving northward two blocks at a time. This resulted in a delicate balance of allowing efficiency for the contractor and minimizing disruption
to businesses.
Another premise was to plan for flexibility, as ground floor retail would evolve over time. This meant including enough places for delivery trucks to access retail stores as well as enough sidewalk space for outdoor caf?(C)s to ebb and flow. Using the existing trees as the baseline, the Landscape Architects created large planting beds of varying lengths to allow pedestrian "cut throughs" from sidewalk to curb in relation to the locations of ground-floor retail spaces. The design also held a minimum sidewalk width that could accommodate sidewalk caf?(C)s without impeding north-south pedestrian flows.
Design Details
The final design includes a number of key features that collectively redefine Hudson Street as a neighborhood destination, such as a dedicated parking-protected bike lane that improves cyclist safety and supports multi-modal mobility. Cycling as a mode of transportation is now better supported with 20 new bike parking spaces, enhancing accessibility and convenience. Along the over 2,000 square feet of sidewalk caf?(C) space, pedestrians can take advantage of approximately 170 new seats on custom, modern benches by Streetlife, as offering places to sit and relax contributes to supporting local businesses and boosting outdoor dining.
The streetscape also features over 8,000 square feet of newly planted areas filled with diverse trees, shrubs, and perennials. One hundred of these trees were planted or retrofitted using the BID's award-winning Hudson Square Standard (HSS) for urban forestry and stormwater management. The materials palette, furniture selection, and planting design all reflect the design team's commitment to creating inclusive, enduring, and high-performance public spaces.
Project Outcome
The renovations along Hudson Street showcase the BID's continued efforts - in conjunction with MNLA - to create an attractive, safe, and inviting experience for people who work, visit, and live in Hudson Square. A neighborhood once known for its car congestion near the Holland Tunnel has been transformed into a vibrant and welcoming neighborhood for pedestrians that is full of creative energy.
As seen in LASN magazine, November 2025.
