Manhattan’s traffic-packed Broadway is slowly becoming a 5-mile wildlife corridor

As of 2026, 12 malls have been restored. (Picture: BMA) 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.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 bei...