Acting Transportation Commissioner Margaret Forgione. Image Credit: NYC DOT
The new Acting Commissioner is a 26-year veteran of the Department of Transportation. On December 4, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that Margaret Forgione will be the Acting Commissioner of the Department of Transportation after Commissioner Polly Trottenberg departs on December 11th. (more…)
Lynn Kelly, New Yorkers for Parks Executive Director addresses audience at Open Space Dialogue Series at New York Law School. Image Credit: CityLand.
On October 9, 2018, New York Law School hosted New Yorkers for Parks for their Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation. The event was kicked off by Joel Steinhaus, Chairman of New Yorkers for Parks, who was introduced by Executive Director Lynn Kelly. Mr. Steinhaus began by welcoming everyone to the second year of Open Space Dialogues, with the focus of this year’s dialogues on parks, open space and the public realm. He stated that New Yorkers for Parks has been the “City’s independent champion of quality open space for all New Yorkers, across all five Boroughs; Well- maintained open spaces foster dialogue, support congregation and free expression, and are a critical component of democracy.” The focus of last night’s Open Space Dialogue was on the “intersection of parks and transportation”.
About the Event
Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation is the kickoff panel of the 2018-2019 Open Space Dialogues series. Expect an evening of provocative presentations created by New Yorkers for Parks and New York Law School. Leaders of the city’s public realm will share and respond to ideas about the spaces New Yorkers hold in common, answering questions like:
-How can transportation system improvements yield more open spaces?
-What opportunities does a transit crisis present for change in the public realm?
-What does the future of public realm inter-agency and public-private partnership cooperation look like? (more…)
Regional Plan Association event featured a variety of discussions on how the New York metropolitan region might face climate change, tackle transportation advancements. The Regional Plan Association, a non-profit urban research and advocacy organization, focuses on planning for economic competitiveness, quality of life, and long-term sustainability in the region that includes New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Orange counties, western Connecticut and northern New Jersey. On April 19, 2013, the Association held its 23rd Annual Assembly to discuss the challenges the region faces, and to plan a livable, sustainable, and economically strong future for the area. The Association recently commenced work on its regional plan, which will be the fourth since the organization’s inception in 1929. The plan will address climate change, deteriorating infrastructure, population increases in urban centers, and the lack of affordable housing, among other issues.
An Open Street in Morris Park, Bronx last year. Temporarily restricting vehicular access provided pedestrians with places to walk, cyclists to move, and children to play. Image Credit: CityLand
The program began as a way to provide more public space during the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 29, 2021, the City Council voted to pass Int. 1933-A, a bill to make a permanent Open Streets program. The Open Streets program closes streets for a given time period to provide pedestrians and cyclists with open street space free of vehicular traffic. (more…)
In a Reader
