Democratic Mayoral Candidates Talk Parks Priorities

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>



‘If You Build It, They Will Come’: City’s Chief Public Realm Officer Outlines Progress, Priorities

By Mark Chiusano

Ya-Ting Liu was appointed New York City’s inaugural chief public realm officer two years ago this month. How has the realm changed so far during her tenure? 

That was the subject of Liu’s talk at New York Law School’s 196th CityLaw Breakfast on Wednesday, during which she described well-used public space as “the secret sauce of cities” and how she thinks pedestrians should be “the main character” in New York City design. <Read More>


Parks Celebrates Vinland Playground Transformation in Bay Ridge

On December 4, 2024, New York City Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue in collaboration with other critical stakeholders celebrated the renovation of Vinland Playground located deep within Shore Road Park in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge. This project cost the City $3.4 million and transformed Vinland Playground with new playground equipment and improved landscaping.


City Advances Open Space on Manhattan Side of Brooklyn Bridge Amid Push for Larger ‘Gotham Park’ Vision

On November 18, 2024, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that New Yorkers now have access to more public space on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. It builds on last year’s opening of “The Arches,” a stretch of public open space adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge, announced in honor of the 140th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge’s 1883 opening. The space’s name refers to the adjacent 53 arches along <Read More>