The Times Square Piazza Plan

There's been a lot of buzz about the plan to create pedestrian mall in the Times Square area in New York City, with the prevailing theory that closing off automobile traffic to this area would counterintuitively reduce gridlock, make the area safer for pedestrians and spur energy and a unique cultural experience that comes with a bustling car-free but person-heavy and commerce-heavy section of Manhattan.

I actually love the idea. When Sarah and I visited Italy a few years ago, one of our fondest memories were the cobblestone piazzas in Florence, where artists sold art and vendors sold gelato in the shadow of large cathedrals while tourists and locals leisurely walked and soaked in the atmosphere with the faint smell of Italian cuisine in the air.

Granted, the Times Square piazza experience is likely going to be a little different. Replace the Church of Santa Maria Novella with the Bertelsmann Building, the Uffizi Gallery with the Disney Store, and the small trattoria with the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Oh, the artists will still be there, but they'll be mostly Chinese immigrants who will draw a portrait of yourself or your name using cartoon characters in 20 minutes.