Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Quality of Life

The Meatpacking Business Improvement District turned Little West 12th Street between Washington and Greenwich streets into a true open street. File photo: Gersh Kuntzman

Streetfilms: ‘Talking Public Spaces’ in the Meatpacking District

By Eve Kessler | Dec 1, 2021 | No Comments

See it: Gorgeous plazas with lush plantings in movable containers. Refurbished 19th-century factory buildings on quaint cobblestone streets. People sipping drinks under red cloth umbrellas — and hardly a car to be seen. Are we really in the Manhattan? Yes.

Dancers perform in front of Mayor de Blasio in a video promoting the city's Open Culture program. Photo: Mayor's Office

OPINION: Let’s Make the Open Culture Program Permanent

By Jimmy Van Bramer | Nov 3, 2021 | No Comments

We must codify in law the pandemic-era program that has brought art, music, and dance to our streets.

(from top) Sara Lind, Robert Green and Carl Mahaney have joined Open Plans.

Open Plans Brings on Three New Hires in Fight for Livable Streets

By Eve Kessler | Oct 4, 2021 | No Comments

Policy wiz Sara Lind, marketing guru Robert Green, and advocate Carl Mahaney join the push for a people-centered city.

"Oscillation," a temporary installation, acts like a Theremin, a musical instrument that plays different pitches and sounds as people move around it. The result?: spontaneous dance parties and jam sessions. It appeared on Water Street in downtown Manhattan from late February to mid-April 2020. Photo: Savannah Lauren

OPINION: ‘Playable’ Cities Are the Next Public-Space Frontier

By Ryan Swanson | Sep 22, 2021 | No Comments

How everyday infrastructure and street furniture can stoke human imagination — and contribute to residents' well being.

Cyclists on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn. Photo: Gersh Kuntzman

OPINION: Pass the Bicycle Commuter Act — Now!

By Renae Reynolds | Sep 20, 2021 | No Comments

An add-on to the congressional reconciliation package could help climate, congestion and health in New York and around the nation.

The city's open streets for restaurants have proved to be a lifeline. And, like Peaches in Brooklyn, the streeteries can be beautiful.

OPINION: Streetside Dining Is the Future — And Here’s How To Do It Right

By Robert Bookman | Aug 10, 2021 | No Comments

The Open Restaurants program, founded during the pandemic, deserves to be a permanent part of the cityscape. Here are some common-sense steps.

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