Better late than never, America is slowly beginning to understand that auto-centric design for our neighborhoods and towns is a bad idea. If you have to drive five miles at seventy miles per hour through a densely developed area to the first traffic light before you can buy a gallon of milk, something’s wrong with this country.

This sculpture was inspired when Times Square was closed to motor vehicles last week. (Or as I prefer to say, “finally opened”.) Here in New York City, planners have realized the easiest way to get space back for people is to simply paint the street tan, set up some chairs, and suddenly it’s a plaza. It’s a quick-and-dirty fix, but it works.

For the first time in my life, I sat in Times Square and enjoyed myself. I was proud to be a New Yorker, and proud to live in a city that is starting to understand that human interaction is more important than cars-per-minute and travel lanes.

This sculpture was on display at an art exhibition in New York City, June 2009.