Public art in pedestrian areas of NYC

I was fascinated to learn that the NYC Department of Transportation Art (“NYC DOT Art”) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public artwork on eligible NYC DOT infrastructure throughout the city. A multitude of locations across all five boroughs serve as canvases and foundations for temporary murals, projections, and sculptures. Having always been very curious about what is behind the city’s decision to feature these works, I wanted to explore this topic to uncover the nature of the art initiatives, which site types were most commonly used, the duration of these installations, and which types of project types were more commonly found within each borough.

The Dataset:

I pulled the dataset from Open Data NYC entitled “Temporary Art Data,” where NYC DOT Art “collaborates with community-based organizations to commission artists to design and install temporary art on NYC DOT property”. Running from 2008 through current month of May 2024, there are 484 records chronicling the following variables

Artwork Variables:

• Program/Initiative
• Title
• Artist Name(s)
• Year of Work
• Project Type
• Partner

Geographic Variables:

• Site Location
• Site Type
• Borough

Time Variables:

• Date of installation – month/day/year
• Date of removal of temporary art – month/day/year

What Types of Art Projects Are you More Likely to See?

Through the 7 years of documenting these DOT Temporary Art projects, there have been 483 projects displayed throughout pedestrian areas in the city of New York. Which types of projects were most popular? Looking at the top 10 project types, by far, sculptures dominated at a rate of 30%, but with murals not too far behind at 26%. Due to the temporary nature of these installations, it’s not surprising that sculptures, which are transportable, would be more prominent and allow for easier removals. But I was puzzled by the comparable percentage for murals, which hinted at pieces of a more indelible, not easily removable nature.

Types of Works by Boroughs

Seeing that the top 3 types of works featured were sculptures, murals, and asphalt murals, I wondered about the proportion of how these top artwork types were distributed throughout the boroughs. Were sculptures the clear frontrunner across every borough? What were some anomalies in work types that set a borough apart from the others?
Sculptured works took the prize in Manhattan, representing nearly half of all pieces in that borough. It was in Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx, however, that murals dominated, ranging from 31 to as much as 45%. What accounts for this difference between these four boroughs? I propose that in terms of open space and pedestrian area, Manhattan had much more plaza space, where boroughs like Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx took advantage of sites like bridges, fences, barriers, and asphalt. These sites were more accommodating to larger works like murals.

Duration of Artworks

As per the guidelines of the Temporary Art Program, what makes these works temporary is that are only permitted in fully pedestrianized spaces for up to 11 months. Which part of the city, then, got to benefit from longer average durations of these works? And which borough had the most turnaround, and therefore shorter average duration of the pieces?
Bronx had the honor of more long-term installations, with its 56 total works staying on display for an average of 300 days. Neighbors got to appreciate these pieces as they stayed for about 10 months in the borough’s streets, sidewalks & plazas. Manhattan, on the other hand, buzzing with excitement as always, had 204 works that had to compete for eyeballs, which necessitated much quicker removals and average lasting power of only 187 days.

When are these installations are happening through the year?

Another thing I learned from the DOT Temporary Art Program: not all types of art projects are good year-round. Depending upon the weather, you might see overall dips on which months were heaviest periods for installations and showings. June & October were notable peaks for all types of works, and unsurprisingly most action declined and practically halted in the colder Autumn and Winter months. Due to its popularity and high quantity in all boroughs (especially Manhattan) sculptures were the sole types of work that continued to be installed throughout the entire year.

I See Murals. Lots of Gorgeous Murals.

I live in Brooklyn, so naturally I’m curious about what it is about our borough that lends itself better to murals and projections. It turns out, there’s something about my home borough that has an edge, and it’s the amounts of bridge and wall space. Compared to Manhattan, the outer boroughs have much less tall buildings that dominate the sightline for pedestrians, with more space that’s more inviting to larger visual displays that beg for more of your sightline. Brooklyn’s waterfront area attracts many pedestrians all year round, but there’s one neighborhood in particular that really takes the cake…

Want to Really Soak It In?

Besides being a destination for millions of tourists every year who cross the Brooklyn Bridge by foot, the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO boasts a high concentration of artworks that’s supported by the most prominent partner, DUMBO BID. Because of its plentiful wall space that’s part of two bridges and a highway, there are murals and projections aplenty. With optimal walking space that’s uninhibited by cars, the neighborhood’s old-style authentic brick laid streets are welcoming to pedestrians who want space to view sculptures.

You Can’t Beat DUMBO by Day

A current sampling (circa May 2025) of the active murals & sculptures that make DUMBO the ultimate neighborhood in NYC to take in some breathtaking street art: