Zuccotti Park

Zuccotti Park is a 33,000-square-foot Privately Owned Public Space in the Financial District, one of the most famous POPS in New York City. Originally known as Liberty Plaza Park, it was renamed in 2006 for John Zuccotti, chairman of Brookfield Properties, which owns the adjacent 1 Liberty Plaza office tower.

The park gained worldwide fame as the site of the Occupy Wall Street protest movement, which began on September 17, 2011 and lasted for two months. Protesters chose Zuccotti Park specifically because, as a POPS, it was required to remain open 24 hours a day, unlike city parks which close at night.

The park features granite benches, honey locust trees, and a distinctive red sculpture by Mark di Suvero titled 'Joie de Vivre.' The open design and 24-hour access make it one of the most accessible public spaces in Lower Manhattan.

Zuccotti Park sits near the World Trade Center site, surrounded by the office towers of the Financial District. The park serves as a lunch spot for area workers during the day and a through-route for pedestrians navigating the dense Lower Manhattan street grid.

The Occupy Wall Street movement transformed Zuccotti Park from an obscure corporate plaza into a symbol of public space and political protest, raising fundamental questions about who controls public spaces in American cities and what rights the public holds in privately owned plazas.