New York City
The Gentrification of Harlem
From Home Depot to high-rise office buildings, Harlem's upward trend is producing "root shock," causing some residents to believe it is only a matter of time before they are displaced.
New Yorkers Can Now Find the Best Bike Routes Online
A new web site that generates directions for cyclists could supplant the New York City Bike Map.
An Alternative to the Water Bottle: Public Fountains
Awareness is increasing of the evils of the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. Elizabeth Royte suggests a solution- the return of the public fountain, a neglected staple of yesteryear.
Eminent Domain Through A Lense
A provocative new exhibition at the New York Public Library challenges new bans on taking pictures in public space, and proposes the idea that photography is in some ways an exercise of eminent domain.
Rise in Bikers Pushes New York Towards Cycle-Friendliness
Biking gets serious in New York, where the city is investing millions in a system of dedicated bike lanes.
New York City's Abstract Subway Map
New York City's controversial subway map of 1972 is being updated in the current edition of Men's Vogue.
Low Cost Bus Carriers Competing For Travelers
Boltbus, a joint venture between Peter Pan and Greyhound, is betting high gas prices and clogged airline terminals, will make way for yet another low-cost carrier between Boston and New York City.
Chinatown BID Plans Fuel Debate
Facing gentrification and skyrocketing property prices, business owners in New York's Chinatown are thinking about forming a Business Improvement District. Many say the plan would hurt small businesses.
Congestion Pricing Plan Dies in New York Assembly
Members of the New York State Assembly decided late Monday not to vote on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, a plan that the state would have needed to approve by April 7 to be eligible for more than $350 million.
The Fiscal Power of Public Art
The upcoming public art project by artist Olafur Eliasson that will place free-standing waterfalls in the waters around New York City highlights the power public art has to generate economic development and revenue for cities.
New York City to Debut Bus Rapid Transit
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced the launch of New York City's first Bus Rapid Transit project, called "Select Bus Service," which will connect Northern Manhattan with the Bronx. Program expansion hinges on the adoption of congestion pricing.
Influx of Luxury Towers Transforms New York
Luxury residential towers are popping up all over New York City, bringing about what one critic calls the "greatest transformation in the city’s physical identity since the 1960s".
Tight New York Parking Blamed on City Employee Permits
More than 142,000 parking permits have been issued by the city of New York for public employees, enabling free parking all over the city. Critics blame the high number of permits for clogging the city's streets.
Manhattan: Food Desert?
New York has become a concentration of the super-wealthy, and soaring real estate values are driving out supermarkets. Will street vendors be able to fill the gap?
The Global City That Never Sleeps
By using telephone and voice over IP calling data, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created detailed maps of calls between New York and other major world cities, painting a vivid picture of globalization.
New York's Transit Needs Congestion Pricing
This editorial from The New York Times argues that the city's public transportation system needs congestion pricing to stay alive.
Tax and Burn Environmentalism
We’re recognizing the scale of the global warming crisis just as there’s a parallel crisis of imagination about how to address environmental problems. Because of years of conservatives’ claims that government doesn’t work, and that the only option is to privatize and deregulate, we’re left believing that we can’t take decisive action in the public interest. We think we can do no more than charge a fee while allowing the smokestacks to keep belching. Call it tax-and-burn environmentalism: Rather than eliminating dangerous practices, tax-and-burn introduces taxes and leaves practices unreformed. Ironically, tax-and-burn often makes things easier for polluters.
What Gotham Tells Us about Mass Transit
I recently got taken to the proverbial wood shed on Planetizen Interchange for arguing that mass transit is unsustainable. So, I decided that it might be useful to look at the mass transit system that seems to be the most successful in nation: New York City. New York has the density and economic activity to sustain transit—perhaps a best-case scenario in the U.S.
The Myth of The Diverse City
Solve this riddle: New York has an unequaled reputation for diversity in the US, but at the same time ranks as “hyper-segregated” in measures of Black-white racial segregation. How do we unravel this contradiction, and what does it say about what diversity really is? The Columbia Encyclopedia provides the prevailing view: “New York City is also famous for its ethnic diversity, manifesting itself in scores of communities representing virtually every nation on earth, each preserving its identity.”
Robert Moses: Good, Bad, or...?
The recent exhibitions on Robert Moses at the Museum of the City of New York, the Queens Museum of Art, and Columbia University have revived old debates about Robert Moses, most of which have boiled down to the question: when all is said and done, was he good or bad? When I visited the exhibitions, trying to figure out my own answer, I remembered my father’s favorite saying (lifted from Oedipus Rex): “Would you condemn me for that which made me great?"
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
