We just got a chance to read the Project for Public Spaces paper on “re-Imagining Brooklyn’s Inner Core” and thought that they make an excellent point that tends to get lost in all the arguing about Atlantic Yards:

The Forest City Ratner proposal for the Atlantic Yards has many weaknesses. But the truth is that no development–even one much stronger than what’s on the table now–can truly succeed on that site unless we also address the area around the intersection of Atlantic, Flatbush, and Fourth Avenue. This intersection should be an iconic space–a source of pride for Brooklyn as a whole…Right now it is dominated by vehicles — it’s just a place to drive through. The pedestrian experience is a nightmare, and there is no plan to deal with this major obstacle. Any development on any portion of this intersection will be a failure if surface transportation issues are not dealt with.

Re-Imagining Brooklyn’s Inner Core [PPS.org]