Quality of Life
Top Categories
DOT: Nine New Public Plazas in the Works
DOT has announced its selections for round one of the NYC Plaza Program, which invites non-profits throughout the boroughs to propose the development of new public spaces. According to DOT, applicants were chosen based on organizational and site-specific criteria, with special consideration given to areas with low- to moderate-income populations. A total of nine projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx were selected. The complete list is posted on the DOT website. Here's a taste:
May 1, 2009
SeeClickFix: Is “Little Brother” the Next Big Thing?
The next generation of community-driven reporting of quality-of-life issues -- like potholes, graffiti, garbage buildup, or broken street lights -- is SeeClickFix, software that enables users to populate a map with cases that are then forwarded to the responsible city agency. Much like a 311 system, SeeClickFix is predicated on the assumption that an aware and engaged public that uses technology can get its city government to efficiently resolve problems.
March 25, 2009
The New Gansevoort: Pedestrian Godsend, Nightclubber Nuisance
A DOT team received a mix of gratitude and derision at Tuesday's public forum about recent pedestrian improvements in the Meatpacking District, which attracted an audience of about 100 people to the Housing Works offices on West 13th Street. It was an interesting window onto the competing interests now vying to shape what has been, from the beginning, a genuinely community-based project seeking to put pedestrians on equal footing with vehicle traffic.
January 15, 2009
Obamites: “Yes We Can!” NYPD: “Traffic First”
Jan Gehl and Enrique Penalosa often talk about the important role that public space plays in a healthy, functioning democracy. I was reminded of that last night as joyous Brooklynites took to the streets for spontaneous celebration following Barack Obama's election victory. This was the scene at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Union Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn last night around 1:15 a.m.
November 5, 2008
TA Rolls Out CrashStat Improvements
E. 33rd St. and Park Ave. was the city's most dangerous intersection between 1995 and 2005.
October 29, 2008
The Case for Active Transportation, by the Numbers
Thanks to commenter Stephen for prodding us to post on the new report from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, "Active Transportation for America" (download the PDF here).
October 24, 2008
Study Provides a New Vision for Allen and Pike Street Malls
Residents of the Lower East Side and Chinatown have been fighting for improvements to the Allen and Pike Street pedestrian malls for more than a decade. Now, with the city's Parks Department set to begin a $5.4 million renovation of the malls below East Broadway, their wait for meaningful action might be nearing an end.
September 19, 2008
San Francisco Debuts Car-Free “Sunday Streets”
San Francisco held its inaugural car-free "Sunday Streets" event last weekend. New Yorker Jen Petersen was there and files this report.
September 5, 2008
Measuring the Value of Livable Streets
Ever wonder how much New York stands to gain by making its streets more livable? Transportation Alternatives has been gathering evidence measuring the economic and social benefits that accrue when cities put pedestrians first. Their report is coming out next week, but the Observer published a sneak preview (headline: "The Woonerf Deficit") this Tuesday:
July 31, 2008