The New York Department of Transport is building pedestrian plazas across New York in partnerhip with the Horti8cultural Society of New York. The NPP began in 2013 with DOT identifying places where pedestrian plazas could be built Once DOT has created a plaza it is handed over to the community based Horticultural Society to maintain it. There are now more than 71 Neighbourhood Plazas in New York from Times Square to Ozone Park. This initiative is supported by a number of foundations.

This development continues New York's initiatives in place making innovations which were discussed in a 2013 PIE stimulus paper on New York as a City of Neighbourhoods. The story of place making in New York from the work of Holly Whyte, to the initiatives of the Project for Public Spaces, and responses by New York City Council is one of innovations leading to further innovations.