As an urban planner, Beth notes how the city is now reclaiming the public arena: the visual experience of the urban experience during the times of COVID show the nature of the social dimensions that have happened: the protests, the demands to give over some of the streets back to the public both for bikes and restaurants, etc. She explains how the
Barclay center protests forced the corporate entity that is the Barclay center to take down the ads and put up a MLK quote. This is interesting as Barclay is not at all like Grand Central Station where the size of the pavers are over-sized blocks so people don't get too close and bump into each other. Barclay is not at all designed in this way - "it's not meant to be friendly", and so the fact that it has become a place of protests is interesting.
