Some favor the idea of a gradualsupersession of the political forms andmethods of mass democracy by govern-ment by some sort of elite in which theman of science and the technician willplaya dominating part. There are verylarge vague patches upon this idea butthe general projection is the form of asort of modern priesthood, an oligarchyof professors and exceptionally compe-tent people. Like Plato, they wouldmake the philosopher king. This proj-ect involves certain assumptions aboutthe general quality and superiority of theintellectual worker that I am afraid willnot stand scrutiny.

The only way to reach the Public Square promenade from the street is to climb three flights of stairs onto the High Line, then cross a fairly narrow bridge connection. The street level features a large cafeteria, but like the 10th avenue perimeter, the sidewalks are so narrow and the road so heavily trafficked with vehicles that it is unlikely the street can thrive as a public space.

But over time, they become numb to the novelty of art, and other considerations exert a far greater influence on their experience of the building: things like who uses the space, when the space is used, how the space forms community and how it integrates the the community that surrounds it.

By concentrating retail inside a mega-complex like the Shops, Hudson Yards taxes the public realm and misses out on an opportunity to cultivate the sense of place that might otherwise emerge.