Mayor Names New Leadership for Department of City Planning

On January 19, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams named his selections for leadership of the Department of City Planning (DCP); Dan Garodnick will be the new City Planning Commission Chair and Department of City Planning Director, and Edith Hsu-Chen will be the Department of City Planning Executive Director. They will both report to Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer.


City Announces Holiday Pedestrian Space Around Rockefeller Center

Vehicle access will be restricted to protect pedestrians and provide them with more space. On November 24, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that temporary expanded pedestrian space would be added around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall to accommodate holiday crowds. As the pandemic limited holiday crowds last year, more crowds are expected to return to New York City to enjoy holiday festivities.


Mayor’s Office Announces Jay Street Busway to be Permanent

DOT data shows increase in speeds along the busway by 47 percent. On November 19, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman announced that the Jay Street Busway in Downtown Brooklyn will now be permanent. The busway runs on Jay Street between Tillary Street and Livingston Street. The busway was in a pilot program as part of the Better Buses Restart Plan since August 2020. 


Mayor Announces Seaport Capital Project to Prevent Flooding

On October 26, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an investment of $110 million for a capital project to address the threat of storm surge and rising sea levels for Lower Manhattan. The proposed project will rebuild and raise the existing bulkhead and improve the drainage between the Brooklyn Bridge and Pier 17. The announcement was made with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency. 


Mayor Announces $425 Million in Funding for Community Parks Initiative

Ten parks a year for ten years will be redesigned and transformed. On October 26, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff announced that $425.5 million will be invested in the Community Parks Initiative over the next ten years. The Community Parks Initiative (CPI) renovates and redesigns community parks, usually in high-density, low-income areas, that have previously been neglected in past administrations. Parks that have received less than $250,000 in investment over <Read More>