New York's street re-designs have been praised for increasing safety and improving mobility for all users. But what effect have they had on the local economy? A new report from the city's DOT makes the business case for better streets.
"Using tax data from the New York City Department of Finance, the DOT analyzed the impact of street re-design and transportation enhancements on retail businesses. Laid out in 'The Economic Benefits of Sustainable Streets' [PDF], the data show encouraging results in seven test cases taken from three of the city's boroughs, representing a wide range of neighborhood types," reports Sarah Goodyear.
The report is a follow-up to last year's Measuring the Street report, which provided evidence of "the economic value of safety, parking, mobility and design improvements to city streets".
"Overall, the numbers revealed broad economic benefits for the streets that had been changed," notes Goodyear. "Numbers like these provide yet another powerful rational argument for street design that puts people above cars."
FULL STORY: Safer Streets Pay Off for Businesses

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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