Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley gives address on April 21, 2021. Image Credit: CityLaw
On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, NYC Mayoral Candidate Maya Wiley spoke The address was hosted by New York Law School through the Impact Center for Public Interest Law’s Impact Conversations series and as part of a series of discussions New York Law School is holding with Mayoral candidates.
Ben Furnas, the new Director of the Mayor’s Office for Climate and Sustainability. Image Credit: Mayor’s Office
The new office combines the Mayor’s Office of Climate Policy and Programs with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability to streamline environmental justice and sustainability efforts more efficiently. On April 19, 2021, Mayor de Blasio appointed Ben Furnas as the Director of the Mayor’s office if Climate and Sustainability. The new office combines the Mayor’s office of Climate Policy and Programs with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. The new office will streamline and build upon the work of the former offices to reduce New York City’s negative impact on climate change, the use of fossil fuels, and further environmental justice.
Image credit: NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.
The East Elmhurst playground will be receiving a $4.6 million renovation to accommodate active and passive recreation. On April 8, 2021, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s Commissioner, Mitchell J. Silver, announced the new $4.6 million renovation of the Gorman Playground located at 25th Avenue and 84th Street in East Elmhurst. The project received its funding for renovation from former Council Member Costa Constantinides prior to his departure from office.
Image Credit: New York City Department of Transportation
The new Inwood and Washington Heights Citi Bike Stations will complete the Manhattan expansion and cause Citi Bike to surpass Paris’ Velib as the second largest bike share system after China. On April 7, 2021, the New York City Department of Transportation and Lyft announced the completion of the Inwood and Washington Heights Citi Bike Expansion. These new expansions will extend the bike share service from the Battery to 220th street, effectively covering the island of Manhattan.
Image credit: NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.
The upgrades include courts and new landscaping. On April 8, 2021, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Silver cut the ribbon on the reconstruction of Chappetto Square in Astoria, Queens. Chappetto Square is located on Hoyt Avenue between 21st and 23rd Streets. The reconstruction of Chappetto Square comes as a part of the Community Parks Initiative. The Community Parks Initiative being the first ever Department of Parks and Recreation equity initiative.
In a Reader
On April 19, 2021 New Yorkers for Parks and the Play Fair Coalition hosted a conversation with New York City Mayoral Candidates about the future of NYC parks and open spaces and what policies need to be created for a 21st century, equitable system.