Artist Mary Miss has embarked on a project to use the length of Broadway as a space for installations that can engage the public in the city’s plans for the future.  In this video from ArtsFwd.org, prepared for the Rockefeller Foundation, Mary Miss describes the background and goals of this ambitious public art initiative:

As described on the artist’s website:

“Broadway: 1000 Steps is a precedent project for the City as Living Laboratory: Sustainability Made Tangible Through the Arts (CaLL) initiative.  CaLL conceives of the city as a laboratory where artists collaborate with scientists and policy makers and others to add experiential impact to research and planning.  The installations initiated through “Broadway: 1000 Steps will articulate the city’s long-term sustainability goals, such as those in PlaNYC, making them tangible and comprehensible to city residents. By directly engaging pedestrians, these encounters bridge the gap between the daily choices made by individuals and the large-scale goals of governmental plans.  This project is inherently collaborative and builds upon existing civic and scientific institutional efforts and resources, enabling NYC to make long-term policy solutions visible now. ”

Broadway: 1000 Steps is a recipient of a 2011 Rockefeller Foundation Cultural Innovation Fund award. To follow the progress of the project and learn more, see the project website at broadway1000steps.com.