The Plan to Build a “PopUp Forest” in Times Square

Most people don’t come to the Big Apple in search of nature, and Mariellé Anzelone thinks that’s something that should change. The former plant ecologist for New York City’s Parks and Recreation Department treasures the pockets of greenery that can be found throughout the city, and now she’s planning to install a new one in the heart of Times Square.

PopUp Forest will be a temporary, natural installation that introduces flowers, ferns, and towering trees to one of the most heavily-trafficked blocks in the city. Visitors will be able to stroll through the exhibit where normal Midtown noise will be muffled and replaced with the sounds of nature streamed in live from Inwood Hill Park in upper Manhattan.

Last spring, Anzelone and her partner, environmental analyst and urban garden designer Hugh Reed, took the project to Kickstarter where they reached their stretch goal of $40,000. The next step is for Anzelone to present her first proposal to the Times Square Alliance. If it gets approved, her team will get to work on the design and have the installation ready to debut by either this upcoming May or the next. 

The PopUp Forest will stand in Times Square for three weeks before being dismantled. After that, its remnants will be distributed to parks, tree pits, and school yards throughout the city. Even though Times Square won't be becoming a permanent nature destination, the team behind the project hopes urbanites who do see it will reevaluate the space they call home.