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 May 20, 2025, the New York City Department of Transportation announced plans for a proposed busway on 34th Street in Manhattan. The busway would function similarly to the 14th Street Busway, which allows for faster bus service and reduced wait times for riders. Currently, 28,000 daily riders use buses along 34th Street.
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]
On March 19, 2025, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of City Planning Director and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick celebrated the City Planning Commission’s approval of the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan. The plan, which covers a 21-block area around Atlantic Avenue between Vanderbilt and Nostrand Avenues in Central Brooklyn, aims to create 4,600 new homes and bring 2,800 permanent jobs to the area.
On February 20, 2025, the City Council Commission on Transportation & Infrastructure held a public hearing on Int. No. 676, a bill that would require the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to conduct a comprehensive study on increasing electric for-hire vehicles and developing new charging infrastructure throughout New York City. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Amanda Farías.
On December 11, 2024, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. announced a 11,540 square-foot City-owned parking lot, located at 324 East 5th Street in the East Village, will be redeveloped into a housing complex with only affordable housing units.