The city's Department of Transportation recently announced plans to expand its successful Manhattan pilot program to all five boroughs.
A 14-table, 50-seat pilot café, which was installed in place of five parking spaces Lower Manhattan last summer, proved so popular with pedestrians that the city will create 12 additional sites in 2011. DOT found the program also benefited nearby shops, which saw a 14% increase in business when the café was operating, according to Branden Klayko.
The pop-up cafés are part of a broader effort by the city to inspire New Yorkers to rethink the potential of streets, Klayko writes:
"The concept is simple: street space is limited and valuable. To that end, New York has been evaluating whether the highest and best use for street space along narrow sidewalks is storing cars. Like a glorified Park(ing) Day spot made (semi-)permanent and held on high, these pop-up cafés invite pedestrians to imagine their city in new ways."
FULL STORY: New York Expands Pop-Up Cafe Program in 2011

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
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