The public space officer will be in charge of making the city’s sidewalks more pedestrian-friendly while keeping streets clean and accessible.
Reporting for Bloomberg CityLab, Cailley LaPara and Gregory Korte describe a new position created by New York City mayor Eric Adams. The city’s new ‘public space czar’ is tasked with cleaning up the ‘clutter’ on the city’s streets and sidewalks and organizing the variety of street uses that popped up during the pandemic, many of which have brought social and economic benefits.
The mayor appointed Ya-Ting Liu, who formerly worked as chief strategy officer for the Deputy Mayor of Operations. “Formally known as the chief public realm officer, Ya-Ting Liu’s job will be to figure out how to make the city’s outdoor dining program permanent, make streets more pedestrian-friendly and keep business districts clean.”
According to the article, “The new position is one of several that Adams has invented going into the second year of his mayoralty as he attempts to manage some of the city’s more intractable challenges.” Other positions, including Director of Rodent Mitigation, remain open.
FULL STORY: New York Has a New Public Spaces Czar to Help De-Clutter City Streets
NYC Announces $30M for Open Streets Projects
The funding is designed to support open streets and public space projects in underresourced neighborhoods.
'Open Streets' Have an Accessibility Problem
The rush to utilize sidewalk space for outdoor seating and parklets has created new obstacles for people with disabilities.
NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project
Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research