Old Falls Street – Niagara Falls, New York
Old Falls Street had a need to bring some added vitality to their downtown area near the Niagara Falls State Park. Several hotels, a conference center, and a visitor center are located there.
The Quality Inn (240 1st St) had a quarter-acre lot of approximately 365 feet by 100 feet. Boundaries include the Bollywood Lounge & Legend Bar and Grill connected to the hotel with an entrance at one end of the space, the hotel along the wall of a long side, and streets along the remaining two edges.
The interventions selected to fill the space represent a veritable encyclopedia of low-cost interventions to activate public spaces
– Cornhole: 2 sets
– Ping pong table
– Foosball table
– Planters
– Movable chairs and tables
– Adirondack chairs
– Blackboard, with “My Favorite Thing About Niagara Falls Is…”
– Pop-up mural
– Connect Four: 2 sets
– Hop Scotch: 2 sets
– Jumbo chess board and pieces
– Jumbo checker board and pieces
– Jumbo jenga
– Lego Board
– Wayfinding signs
– Outdoor movie screening (every Thurs through end of Aug)
These all had varying degrees of success and durability. The foosball table looks worse for wear. A cover to go over it during bad weather might help it last longer. The chalk boards also need to be periodically cleaned, as the messages sometimes are quite negative.
Overall this placemaking effort is a welcome addition attracting people and generating activity, even on a less busy late Thursday afternoon. What will be interesting to see is whether or how Niagara Falls iterates this design to more permanent programming for this important site.
