The Shared Street initiative is a key element of DBP’s Public Realm Action Plan to reclaim streets for pedestrians and cyclists and beautify Downtown Brooklyn’s streetscape.
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) today began installing new street murals – known as “asphalt art” – within the pedestrian spaces of the neighborhood’s Shared Street network. New York City-based artist, Carla Torres, was selected to create vibrant art that compliments the streetscape with her work titled Brooklyn Blossoms.
In addition to Downtown Brooklyn’s signature planters, granite blocks, bike corrals, and street furniture, this new public art will enliven the public realm, visually connect the area’s core streets, and increase safety by delineating pedestrian priority zones. DOT’s Shared Street initiative is a key element of DBP’s Public Realm Action Plan to reclaim streets for people and beautify Downtown Brooklyn’s streetscape.
“Every year, Downtown Brooklyn’s new asphalt art serves as a reminder that Downtown Brooklyn is a true people-first neighborhood,” said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “Carla’s vibrant new artwork welcomes pedestrians to this dynamic neighborhood that is always evolving. We are grateful to our partners at NYC DOT for working with us to improve our downtown and look forward to the streets being transformed into inspiring works of art for everyone to enjoy.”
Brooklyn Blossoms is a vibrant and playful mural design that blends abstract shapes with nature-inspired motifs. Featuring a colorful array of flowers, leaves, birds, and organic forms, the designs come to life with bright, radiant tones against a dark background. The work celebrates growth, community, and the beauty of the natural world. Drawing inspiration from the native plants and the vibrant energy of Brooklyn, the mural intertwines nature’s beauty with the neighborhood’s dynamic spirit. Bold floral shapes and lively birds in flight symbolize renewal and harmony, while the overlapping colors reflect the borough’s diversity.
“Brooklyn Blossoms will help make these bustling Shared Streets in Downtown Brooklyn even more dynamic and welcoming to all,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “This project represents our fifth consecutive year collaborating with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership at this location—a shining example of what we can achieve together.”
Brooklyn Blossoms invites passersby to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in a moment of joy. The designs will be distributed across 21 available spaces throughout the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. Each site features a unique section of the design, allowing the composition to unfold and creating a sense of connection through the shapes and color over the sites.
“Brooklyn Blossoms transforms the street into a garden of movement and color,” said artist Carla Torres. “By weaving together flowers, birds, and organic forms, I wanted to reflect the vitality of Brooklyn and create a visual experience that invites people to pause, look closely, and feel connected to the space around them.”
These enhancements are part of DBP’s Downtown Brooklyn Public Realm Action Plan, created in partnership with design firms Bjarke Ingels Group and WXY architecture + urban design. The plan puts forth a series of transformative measures that will take Downtown Brooklyn from a traditional central business district to a citywide leader in designing a people-centric downtown. Expansion of Downtown Brooklyn’s Shared Street network is one of the plan’s key recommendations.
Also known as a “pedestrian-priority” streets, Shared Streets are designed to slow travel speeds where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized, and motorists are treated as guests. On Shared Streets, necessary vehicular access is maintained for loading, carting, parking, and other services, and slow vehicular speeds are preserved through traffic calming measures, signage, street markings, and the addition of public space amenities in expanded pedestrian spaces. The Shared Street model was launched in Downtown Brooklyn on Pearl and Willoughby Streets in 2019 and is being expanded across blocks in the core of Downtown Brooklyn.
About Downtown Brooklyn Partnership:
The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination. The Partnership’s diverse activities include attracting new businesses and improving the environment for existing companies, facilitating the construction of public spaces and streetscapes that promote an active and cohesive community, supporting and promoting Downtown Brooklyn’s cultural assets, and encouraging a sense of place and an engaged civic community.
For more information, visit downtownbrooklyn.com
About NYC DOT Art:
The New York City Department of Transportation Art Program (NYC DOT Art) partners with community based nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections, and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Over the past 12 years, NYC DOT Art has produced nearly 450 temporary artworks citywide.
For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dotart + @nyc_DOTArt.
About Carla Torres:
Carla Torres is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose practice spans drawing, painting, illustration, animation, and murals. Originally from Ecuador, she relocated to New York City in 2006 to broaden her artistic horizons. Since then, her work has been showcased in prominent galleries both locally and internationally, including the Queens Museum and the Noguchi Museum. Her illustrations have garnered recognition from prestigious awards in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Torres has been commissioned by notable organizations such as the New York City Department of Transportation Urban Art Program, the Garment District Alliance, and the NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Program. She is also a three-time recipient of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Creative Engagement grant and was a featured muralist for the HBO Max Latinx Diaspora Campaign. Most recently, she participated in an artist residency with Google New York City and currently serves as an artist-in-residence at Elmhurst Hospital.
For more information, visit https://www.carlatorres.com/
About Shared Streets:
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership has worked closely with the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) to create Shared Streets in Downtown Brooklyn, starting with Pearl and Willoughby Streets in 2019, and expanding in 2022 to include Bridge Street, Hoyt Street, and Elm Place. Creating a safer, pedestrian-friendly street network and investing in memorable places with distinctive character are key recommendations of DBP’s Public Realm Action Plan.
