By Mark Chiusano
Being mayor of New York City comes with a lot of advantages, from the media-capital bully pulpit of the Big Apple to a built-in workforce that numbers over 300,000. But the uncomfortable secret of becoming mayor is that for lots of big swings, you need Albany.
That’s because of how much authority the state has over city issues, on aspects of taxation, housing, transportation, and even law enforcement. Yet the city is … <Read More>
By Mark Chiusano
What the visitor to Bogardus Plaza sees is the welcoming kiosk selling pasteis de nata, the tables and egg-shaped seats, and the raised platform that hosts a dog show, one of 8-10 events in the plaza each year. The passerby may notice the elegant paving stones, the antique 17-foot cast-iron clock, and the way that this plaza carves some public recreational space out of what used to be part of Hudson … <Read More>
By Mark Chiusano
New York City’s parks are touchstones for all residents – including candidates for mayor.
Among those 30,000 acres are “where my kids learned to walk,” said Comptroller Brad Lander, and where State Senator Zellnor Myrie biked and got a “reprieve” from his asthma. Former comptroller Scott Stringer’s children practically “live in the parks,” he said, summing up the prevailing view: “The way our parks will go will define how our city goes.”… <Read More>
On Tuesday, April 9, 2025, the Center for New York City and State Law, along with co-hosts New Yorkers for Parks and the Play Fair Coalition, welcomed the mayoral primary candidates to discuss their positions on parks, recreation and open space.
By Mark Chiusano
For part two of Cityland’s candidate questionnaire on public space, we asked how the top Democratic mayoral hopefuls would reform the way New York City makes many land use decisions. [Read part one: Outdoor Dining, Open Streets, & Trash Containerization: Where Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stand on Public Space Issues]
By Mark Chiusano
With the 2025 New York City mayoral race in full swing, CityLand sent a brief, initial list of questions to major contenders for the Democratic nomination to get an idea of where the candidates stand on several key public space issues that have been the source of policy shifts and public debate over the last several years: outdoor dining, Open Streets, and trash containerization. The next mayor’s stance on these — and … <Read More>