City Unveils Design Concepts for Reimagined Chatham Square with more Pedestrian Space, Simplified Intersection

Rendering for the proposed redesign of Chatham Square, images pending review and approval from the Public Design Commission. Rendering prepared by MARVEL.

Design Proposal Transforms Chatham Square To Be Safer, More Pedestrian-Friendly, and More Welcoming to Both Residents and Visitors

Renderings Are Part of Chinatown Connections Plan To Add New Public Space and Improve Traffic Safety in Chinatown

New renderings for the proposed redesign of Chatham Square, the latest milestone in the implementation of Chinatown Connections, a multifaceted, public space improvement project that will celebrate the cultural heritage of Chinatown, improve multimodal circulation in the area, and support local economic development was released today. The redesign would dramatically expand pedestrian space while simplifying a complex intersection, improve circulation with shortened pedestrian crossings, and provide more direct routes for drivers. The project will also include opportunities to plant trees and greenery to beautify and expand available public space, including in Kimlau Square, the small park in the center of Chatham Square. As part of the Chinatown Connections plan, the redesign of the square was informed by a thorough traffic study and an ongoing, robust community engagement process.

The Intersection

Currently, Chatham Square features a complex, five-point intersection resulting in many conflict points that endanger drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Even though pedestrians account for nearly 80 percent of users of the intersection—with nearly 10,000 counted during peak afternoon/evening hours—they often must walk long distances to cross the street, usually at the same time as a high volume of turning vehicles

The existing public space is made less welcoming and less accessible by the exposure to surrounding traffic and accompanying noise and is not large enough to accommodate public events such as Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. 

The complicated intersection requires traffic enforcement agents to direct traffic—with vehicles usually needing to make multiple turns due to the indirect design of the street. Chatham Square Design

The proposed redesign transforms Chatham Square into a standard four-way intersection that will better serve the high number of pedestrians and will allow drivers continue on their routes with fewer turns. 

The proposal shortens pedestrian crossing distances to reduce exposure to vehicles and increase accessibility, especially for seniors and children. The design maintains the location of the Kimlau Memorial Arch, in Kimlau Square, which sits at the heart of the Chatham Square redesign, and connects the arch and public space to adjacent blocks.

NYCEDC has procured Marvel as the design team project lead to oversee the redesign of Chatham Square. Working closely with NYCEDC, NYC DOT, and the local community, Marvel is leading a multidisciplinary team of engineers and consultants to develop design ideas that reimagine this important civic intersection as a safer, more accessible, and connected public space.

This milestone builds on the recent selection of artist Jennifer Wen Ma to design the new Chinatown Welcome Gateway, which promises to highlight the neighborhood’s cultural heritage to fulfill a longstanding community desire for an iconic symbol to demarcate a key entrance to Chinatown.

Outreach and Implementation

Extensive community engagement supported the development of this design. The city began gathering information in May 2025 and further refined the proposal in consultation with Chinatown Connections Working Group and through community tabling, pop-up events, and other forms of focused engagement, gathering nearly 350 comments on a visual survey of the project. Final design and construction are slated for 2027. 

About Chinatown Connections 

Chinatown Connections is a $55 million capital effort in Chinatown funded by New York City and New York State to support the needs of existing community and the local economy, bolster neighborhood identity and culture, expand pedestrian space, and support connections with surrounding communities by creating safer pedestrian and cyclist connections in the neighborhood. 

About NYCEDC 

New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city’s future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.