The Rethinking Parks Replication Award is seeking organisations and partnerships who are well placed to replicate and run some of the most promising and innovative operating models for parks. The Bryant Park Corporation is one of a number of examples of promising models to build on and adapt.

The Bryant Park Corporation is a management company and business improvement district formed in 1988 to rescue the historic park that had fallen into disrepair. The park re-opened in 1991 after four years of renovation, with a budget six times the level it had been under city management. It is often credited as an innovator in public space management and is the biggest example in the US where private funding has been successfully applied to a public park.

The BID also works with civic minded corporations and park patrons to offer interesting amenities, free educational programmes and free high-level entertainment for people of all ages. The success of these exciting amenities and programmes is linked to Bryant Park Corporation’s ability to partner with leading brands and corporations. Past partners include Google, Citibank, HBO, Bank of America and the New York Times to name a few.

With six million annual visitors, Bryant Park is the only large-scale public park in Midtown Manhattan, and so is also a much sought-after location for concerts, product launches, and many other types of public and private events. From intimate drawing workshops to outdoor film screenings for 10,000 people, Bryant Park is a hub for hundreds of cultural events.

The BID strives to improve the park each year by paying close attention to other models and constantly seeking innovations, whether from its own staff or from outside, always with an eye on the ultimate goal: presenting the perfect park to the public. The BID model of Bryant Park is a clear example of how private management have been able to sustain the park and provide engaging opportunities to the wider public.