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>
On April 25, 2025, the New York City Comptroller’s office released a new report, Streets for People, which provides steps the City should take to further the Open Streets program.
On April 21, 2025, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s Office released a new report that reveals substantial racial inequities in how the Department of Buildings enforces rules for owners of one- and two-family homes.
An audit of the top ten community districts for penalties showed that homeowners in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods incurred significant fines for building code violations. These penalties were often for unpermitted alterations and default judgments and usually stemmed from … <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]