Thursday's New York Sun had an article regarding the proposal of a new statue honoring the literary and public figure George Plimpton.
I certainly believe that Mr. Plimpton deserves a statue in one of New York City's Parks. I also believe many other important New York figures deserve a statue recognizing their contribution to New York City.
According to the New York City Parks Department, there are approximately 1,200 monuments located in the five boroughs and 300 of those monuments are sculptures. The Parks Department touts on its website that it is “the greatest outdoor public art museum in the United States”.
Following is my list of additions. All these individuals were fundamental in shaping the City of New York. These urban and social critics are not currently honored in a monument form in the city.
Walt Whitman – (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892)
Long Island native; New York City’s poet and humanist Walt Whitman captured the spirit and life of New Your City and its citizens in his poems and writings.
Lewis Mumford - (October 19, 1895 – January 26, 1990)
Influential urban philosopher and social critic in New York City.
Writer of the acclaimed book History of the City.
“New York is the perfect model of a city, not the model of a perfect city.”-Lewis Mumford
Allen Ginsburg - (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997)
New York City Beat poet, social activist and the author of the poem Howl.
William H. Whyte - (1917- January 12, 1999)
Journalist and Urban sociologist observing city dynamics, ‘Holly’ Whyte is the creator of the book (and a film of the same name) The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces.
George McAneny - (1869-1953) and Edward Bassett (1863-1948)
The fathers of New York City Zoning
Jacob August Riis - (May 3, 1849 - May 26, 1914)
Photojournalist and social reformer. Through photographs, he revealed to society the slums of New York City in the essay "How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York (1890)".
Statue in the Works for a Literary Man of Action, by Gary Shapiro
http://www.nysun.com/article/51425
NYC Parks Department of Parks and Recreation – monument list
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/monuments/monuments_search.php
