I'm 100% in support of this. Hell yeah.
and fwiw the green paint is in fact totally core to the transformation. Its necessary in order to make pedestrians / lunch-eaters comfortable enough to feel that the space really belongs to them. Lower ambient temp, lower glare, defines a distinct space, promotes sense of well-being etc. And its relatively cheap too, even with union-rate paintbrush operators...
As Van said, NYC did the same thing with a lot of the broadway triangles in midtown - a couple of years of green paint and mobile furniture to claim the space before the budget cycle caught up enough to support a full curb-and-concrete rebuild with trees and permanent furniture etc.