In the middle of Manhattan, Broadway's green medians are being transformed into a connected habitat for birds, bees and other urban wildlife. The Broadway Mall Association (BMA), a nonprofit organisation, is replanting the city's Broadway malls with native plants as part of a long-term project called The Great Green Way.
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According to a report by Eco Portal, the project aims to turn five miles of Broadway's green spaces into one continuous corridor. Instead of each median being a separate garden, the restored spaces will work together and provide habitat across the length of Broadway.
The work is taking place in a challenging setting. The Broadway malls are made up of gardens in medians that are about 20 feet wide and surrounded by six lanes of traffic. The conditions make planting and maintaining these spaces difficult, but careful selection of plants can help them support more wildlife.
The plants are selected according to factors such as sunlight, soil, wind and how each space is used. The aim is to create gardens that can support wildlife while also needing less water and maintenance over time. Native Northeast species are being chosen for the conditions of each individual mall.
How plantation is being done
The restoration work began in 2024 with pilot projects at 83rd–84th Streets and 164th–165th Streets. The two locations had different conditions, including differences in topography, vegetation, soil and sunlight. Because of this, they were used as living laboratories to understand how restoration could work in different parts of Broadway.
As of 2026, 12 malls have been restored, including sites at 73rd, 74th, 75th, 83rd, 93rd, 94th, 98th, 119th, 120th and 164th Streets. A dedicated pollinator garden has also been created at 150th Street.
Several more restorations are expected to be completed by the end of 2026. BMA wants to restore all 83 malls and connect them into the Great Green Way.
Over time, the individual gardens are expected to provide connected habitat for wildlife while also bringing more greenery into neighbourhoods along Broadway.
Importance of native plants
The restoration is not simply about making the medians look greener. Native plants have been selected because they can provide several ecological benefits in the city. According to BMA, the new plantings provide food and habitat for birds and pollinators. They can also improve soil health and need less water and maintenance as they become established.
The plants include native trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials. Their deep root systems can absorb stormwater and store carbon, adding another ecological function to the small gardens.
Each mall is trated as its own ecosystem. That means the same planting approach is not applied everywhere, but plants are matched to the conditions of individual blocks. This is important because the Broadway malls are not uniform spaces. Some receive different amounts of sunlight, while soil, wind, vegetation and topography can vary from one location to another.
The pollinator garden
One of the project's dedicated spaces is the pollinator garden at 150th Street. It was planted in spring 2024 with help from community volunteers.
The garden uses native species selected to provide nectar, shelter and seasonal food for butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Its location also gives the garden a wider role in the planned green corridor. The Broadway malls sit between Riverside Park to the west and Central Park to the east. The pollinator garden helps strengthen this link for pollinators whose populations are under pressure.
