New York

Recognizing Lively Urban Spaces as the Heart of Resilient Communities

Based on lessons from recent disasters in Chicago and New York, where lively urban spaces helped communities to survive and recover, Michael Kimmelman suggests that neighborhood libraries could be designed with such a purpose in mind.

October 6, 2013 - The New York Times

NYC and Tech Community Work Together to Perfect Mapping Data

A partnership between the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and OpenStreetMap is a promising example of the public sector and tech communities working together to improve the accuracy and usability of data sets.

October 6, 2013 - MapBox

Bill de Blasio Unveils His Vision for Achieving an Affordable New York

Though his "Tale of Two Cities" was the centerpiece of Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign, details on how the candidate plans to narrow New York City's rising inequality have been scarce. With a speech on Friday, he sought to fill in the gaps.

October 5, 2013 - The New York Times

Modular Street Squares Turn NYC's "Leftover" Spaces into Public Amenities

New York City's 5.3 million square feet of “leftover” street space provides a prime opportunity to create public amenities and a more resilient city. Eric Tan and his colleagues at Gensler have created modular "Street Squares" to fill the void.

October 4, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Four Simple Ways to Make Penn Station Better Now

Over the past two decades, grand schemes have advanced and receded for replacing New York's dreadful Penn Station. Robert W. Previdi offers four simpler, and achievable, solutions for improving the station's operations for its 440,000 daily users.

October 2, 2013 - The New York Times

New York Rebrands Rest Stops as “Texting Zones”

New highway signs urge drivers to wait until the next rest stop before answering that text or email message. A recent study presents two more reasons why motorists who text are a major danger.

September 29, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

New Yorkers Breathe Easier as the City's Buildings Clean Up Their Act

A Bloomberg administration effort to get New York's most polluting buildings to convert to cleaner heating fuels has provided remarkable results, a new study reports.

September 28, 2013 - The New York Times

10 Cities Most at Risk From Natural Disasters

Natural disasters affect millions of people each year, and cost between $60 billion and $100 billion worldwide. Here are the 10 global cities most at risk.

September 25, 2013 - Future Cities

Along New York's Waterfront, An Opportunity Without Peer

New York's lengthy waterfront was once dotted with an extensive array of piers, reaching like tentacles from the city's shores into the surrounding harbor and rivers. As the city again embraces its waterfront, those that remain are getting new life.

September 24, 2013 - Urban Omnibus

New York Borrows from Disneyland to Revamp Its Subway Stations

What does the "Happiest Place on Earth" have to teach the "Capital of the World"? How to better manage the flow of people, for one.

September 24, 2013 - The New York Times

A bride and groom riding on citi bikes in New York

Friday Funny: New York's Weirdos Saddle Up for Bikeshare Shenanigans

Though the Wall Street Journal's editorial board and Victoria's Secret Angels are unlikely to ride one, Citi Bikes have attracted a wide swath of New Yorkers. Apparently this also includes the city's ample supply of weirdos.

September 20, 2013 - Grist

Are America's Cities Doing Enough to Protect Pedestrians?

Though more and more cities realize that walkability and livable streets are essential to their prosperity, their approach to pedestrian safety is often lacking. The slow pace of policy change isn't fast enough for the victims of "accidents".

September 19, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Does de Blasio Have the Tools to Reverse New York's Growing Inequality?

Mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio's quest to reduce New York City's growing inequality is an admirable one, and a message that has clearly resonated with voters. But do local leaders have the tools to achieve such goals?

September 19, 2013 - The Daily Beast

NYC-crosswalk

A New Breed of Pedestrian Advocate is Making City Streets Safer for Everyone

As cities such as New York recognize the need to stop treating pedestrians as second-class citizens, the Pedestrian/Traffic Manager (PTM) has emerged as a new tool in the effort to improve the mobility and safety of those on foot.

September 18, 2013 - Ileanna Pappas

How Can New York Make its Streets More Livable?

After a decade of livable street gains under Mayor Bloomberg, staff members at NYC's most respected alternative transportation advocacy group share their visions for what changes will take place over the next four years on the city's streets.

September 18, 2013 - Reclaim

Four Decades After Site Was Cleared, Plan for Lower East Side Renewal Takes Shape

With a legacy of controversy dating back to the urban renewal schemes of the 1950s and 60s, arriving at a plan to develop a six-acre parcel on Manhattan's Lower East Side was no easy task. But after a collaborative process a vision has emerged.

September 18, 2013 - The New York Times

Pilot Program Will Monitor Car Computers to Fix New York Streets

A pilot program operated by New York's DOT will gather data from 500 city motorists' vehicles in order to find problematic city streets and help drivers reduce their gas use and increase their safety.

September 12, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Livable Streets Advocates Are Winners on NYC Primary Day

Bill de Blasio wasn't the only candidate backed by the newly-formed livable streets political action committee StreetsPAC to emerge victorious from Tuesday's primary elections in NYC. 13 of 18 council candidates supported by StreetsPAC won.

September 12, 2013 - Streetsblog

'Once-Lowly' Piece of Infrastructure Honored as a Hero of 9-11

David W. Dunlap recounts how the slurry wall built around the World Trade Center's foundations prevented the devastation to Lower Manhattan from becoming much worse, and "became a symbol of resilience in the months and years after the attack."

September 11, 2013 - The New York Times

What is the Key to Improving New York City's Livability?

The candidates competing to emerge from today's mayoral primary confront a host of challenges that threaten the quality of life in the Big Apple. Five experts identify the issues they believe are key to improving the city's livability.

September 10, 2013 - The New York Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.