Ted Talks: Dan Barasch Speaker - "A Park Underneath The Hustle And Bustle Of New York City"

“Lets go down to the park”, may take on a new meaning in New York in the near future.

What Was The Topic And Argument Of The Presentation?

Dan Barasch and his business partner James Ramsey, want to build the world’s first four season subterranean park, called the Lowline, in a former trolley terminal in Manhattan’s lower east side. They intend to use a system of solar panels and fiber optics to bring light from above ground down to the terminal providing the sunlight needed to help the grass, plants and trees to grow on this empty space that is equal to a football field.  Dan shared that he wanted to make a difference … make the world more beautiful, more interesting and more just.  This park would be a step in the right direction to restoring an ecological balance in Manhattan after the industrial revolution made its mark by uprooting grass, plants and trees for the development of buildings.

How Were Visual Or Other Props Used In The Presentation?  Was It Effective?

• Visual images were used to display complex information clearly – “His park concept”.
• Visual images were used to compare and contrast his Grandmothers and Parents “old New York City” with how it is today.
• Visual image of his Grandmother cooking in the kitchen was used to elicit contextual humor and also to help informalize the presentation.
• All of the above were effective methods of using visual imagery to enhance the verbage in his speech.

Were Questions Asked?  Humor Used?  How Was The Pacing?

• No questions were asked.  It was more of a presentation than a Q&A.
• A small dose of humor was used one time to keep the audience engaged. Dan made reference to his grandmother shrugging off his questions and telling him to eat more meatballs, more pasta.
• The pacing of his presentation was spot on.  He allowed enough time for the audience to conceptually grasp his vision of an underground park.

Was There A ‘Path’ Through The Presentation?

1. An idea emerged (the underground park).
2. Attempted to get historical perspectives directly from his Grandmother about the “old” New York City and its industrial development … but didn’t succeed.
3. Takes idea full circle by emerging the history of his Grandparents and Parents generations of building and developing the city with his own generation’s propensity of reclaiming space that already exists and reinventing it with an aesthetic and green purpose.

Were You Engaged Or Inspired By The Presentation?

Yes.  I was engaged and inspired.   Dan is an excellent speaker!   He spoke from the heart and personalized his underground park idea to the audience by including the generations of  his family tied to New York City … the “old” and the “current”, as well as, telling of his personal sacrifice … quit his job to see his idea to fruition.  I am inspired by him, because he is trying to bring back what once was … beauty and ecological balance within a great state.

In conclusion, I agree with Dan that we need to reinvent how we use urban abandoned empty space and apply a green consciousness that is effective in its function, as well as, appealing in its design.  I believe that Dan will be making a difference in the community, if his idea gets implemented, because there is an abundance of scientific research to support that green space has a direct effect on the lives of city residents with a marked reduction in stress and an improved mood. Why should city dwellers have to drive to green space to improve their well-being?