On March 14, 2020, New York City—like many cities throughout the world—became a ghost town overnight. All across Manhattan, from Times Square to the Flatiron District, pedestrian activity was down 80% and transit and vehicular usage down by 30-50%. OSD was invited by the Flatiron/23rd Street Business Improvement District to design a holistic plan that would promote pedestrian activity, a sense of safety, and offer a lifeline to businesses and residents in the district’s 110 acres of commercial, public and residential space. The plan worked with NYC DOT, Flatiron / NoMad BID, District Stakeholders, and conducted remote engagement sessions, and integrated city initiatives such as Vision Broadway. By connecting park, streetscapes, and public transit, the plan created an interconnected social network that stimulated financial stability to businesses, improved alternative transit options and enriched deserted public spaces.