New York City

Friday Funny: The Subway Oyster Shucker

To some people (or maybe just this one person), the N Train in the New York City subway system in a perfectly acceptable place to shuck some oysters.

April 25, 2014 - The Awl

New York City's Most Serious Pollution Continues to Plague its Residents

Imagine living high above Manhattan but unable to open your windows because of soot-laden smoke from surrounding buildings. Toxic emissions from burning dirty heating oil continues despite a 2011 law requiring conversion to a cleaner fuel.

April 23, 2014 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Pitching a Queens-Brooklyn Streetcar

Michael Kimmelman resurrects an old plan by Alex Garvin to build a light rail connection between the waterfront neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn, except Kimmelman would build a streetcar line.

April 22, 2014 - New York Times

Study Maps the Spatial Patterns of U.S. Environmental Injustice

A new study by researchers from the University of Minnesota presents a sweeping portrait of trends in exposure to nitrogen dioxide across the United States.

April 18, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Examining the Surprising Segregation of New York City

The common perception of New York City is as of a well-integrated city, full of multi-ethnic neighborhoods. But a recent article peeks behind the curtain of the city’s surprising boundaries of racial segregation.

April 15, 2014 - City Notes

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

The High Line as Symbol of 'Severe Economic Inequality'

A recent article in Salon cites the High Line as perhaps the most conspicuous example of how municipal governments are subsidizing wealthy corporate or private interests while many citizens continue to suffer low wages and benefits.

April 14, 2014 - Salon

Vision Zero Hits the Streets with First 'Arterial Slow Zone'

Delivering the first example of a critical component of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Vision Zero” program, New York will lower the speed limit from 30 to 25 along Atlantic Blvd, which cuts through Brooklyn and Queens.

April 10, 2014 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

Boston Subway Tremont Construction

The Original Big Digs

The gridlock in American cities today doesn't compare to the crush on streets in Boston and New York City in the mid- to late-1800s. In The Race Underground, Doug Most chronicles the occasionally synchronous development of the nation’s first subways.

April 10, 2014 - Josh Stephens

What Does Citi Bike Data Reveal About New York City?

A website called I Quant NY has produced a string of posts examining recent ridership data released by Citi Bike. The visualizations and maps produced by the site make a good case for the value of open data.

April 9, 2014 - I Quant NY

High Line Crowds

Amanda Burden Gives TED Pitch for Public Space

Amanda Burden amassed quite a track record during her tenure as planning commissioner for New York City, like rezoning 40 percent of the city. In a recent Ted talk, however, Burden concentrated on the details that make for successful public spaces.

April 9, 2014 - TED

Toronto from my room

Website Says 'Yes In My Back Yard'

A website called New York YIMBY is run by a 23-year-old New Yorker named Nikolai Fedak. The site, and Fedak’s pro-development ethos, was recently detailed in the New York Times.

April 8, 2014 - New York Times

A Proposal for New York's Park Inequity Problem

The inequities of New York City’s park system have been on the policy radar since state legislation was introduced last year that would require large, wealthy park conservancies to contribute to smaller, cash-strapped parks around the city.

April 3, 2014 - The New Yorker

Study Examines the Evolution of the New York Minute

A new study examines the widely reported effect of the “New York Minute,” claiming that the new multi-modal nature of New York City’s streets has harkened the obsolescence of previously stated definitions of the non-standard measure of time.

April 1, 2014 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Grocery Store Walk

How Easy is Walking to the Grocery Store in Your City?

Angie Schmitt shares news of an effort by WalkScore to rank cities based on the ability of residents to access grocery stores on foot. WalkScore invites planners all over country to use their data to improve walkable access to food in cities.

March 31, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

Bookstores of All Sizes Struggling in Manhattan

Manhattan has long been one of—if not the—centers of the literary universe. What does it mean for the borough if bookstores—independent or otherwise—can no longer afford the rent?

March 28, 2014 - New York Times

Room for Improvement for Citi Bike—But Not Dead Yet

Nancy Scola responds to a recent Wall Street Journal article detailing the ongoing financial troubles of Citi Bike—New York City’s bikeshare program, which is reportedly scrambling for money and operating deeply in the red.

March 26, 2014 - Next City

Commuter Taxes: An Untapped Revenue Source?

For all those cities that double population during the work day, here's a revenue thought to consider. But why restrict it to in-bound commuters? What about residents who commute-out of the city? Is the commuter tax a legitimate revenue source?

March 26, 2014 - Governing

Citi Bike Encounters Financial Trouble

Few details are available about just how troubled the financial situation is at the country’s most recognizable bikeshare program, but it’s possible that Citi Bike will need a cash infusion or a new model to stay in business.

March 21, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Central Park Aerial

Mitchell Silver to Head NYC’s Department of Parks and Recreation

He might be an outsider to some New Yorkers, but Mitchell Silver is one of the most recognizable and respected planners in the country. For his new job as New York’s parks commissioner, Silver will oversee 29,000 acres of parkland and 1,900 parks.

March 21, 2014 - New York Times

LaGuardia Renovation Plan Reaches Cruising Altitude

The Port Authority is reviewing development proposals for a $2.4 billion project to renovate New York City’s notoriously derelict La Guardia Airport. Renderings from one proposal have also hit the wire.

March 19, 2014 - New York Post

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