Aaron Donovan
Before he began blogging about land use and transportation, Aaron Donovan wrote The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund's annual fundraising appeal for three years and earned a master's degree in urban planning from Columbia. Since then, he has worked for nonprofit organizations devoted to New York City economic development. He lives and works in the Financial District, and sees New York's pre-automobile built form as an asset that makes New York unique in the United States, and as a strategic advantage that should be capitalized upon.
Recent Posts
Contested Streets Screening and Panel Discussion
| | No Comments
Screening of Contested Streets (57 min) and Grand Street (6 min) Post-screening discussion with Stefan Schaefer and Ian Rosenberg; Paul White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives; Majora Carter of Sustainable South Bronx and other guests.
Contested Streets Screening
| | No Comments
Contested Streets is a Transportation Alternatives-produced, Cicala Filmworks-made documentary that explores the rich diversity of New York City street life before the introduction of automobiles and shows how New York can follow the example of other modern cities that have reclaimed their streets as vibrant public spaces. Contested Streets features new footage of reclaimed streets […]
Charles Komanoff: The Real Energy Crisis and the Way Out
| | No Comments
The onrushing climate crisis is overturning decades of conventional wisdom on energy. Our problem isn’t that oil and other fuels are too expensive: it’s that they’re not expensive enough. Streetblog’s own Charles Komanoff, an iconoclastic economist and committed environmental activist, will outline an equitable, progressive approach to solving the climate and energy crises without bankrupting […]
Manhattan Community Board 3 Meeting About New Bike Lane
| | No Comments
Manhattan Community Board 3’s Transportation Committee is holding a public meeting on the new bike lanes on Grand Street in the Lower East Side. The Community Board’s pdf-formatted agenda lists this as an "informational presentation by the Department of Transportation on Grand Street Bicycle Facility Design." From Transportation Alternatives: In November, the NYC Department of Transportation added a grand […]
Memorial Ride for Eric Ng
| | 1 Comment
A memorial ride for Eric Ng, 22-year-old bicyclist, teacher, and friend who was killed on Dec. 1 by a drunk driver as he rode his bike on the Hudson River Greenway. Meet at Washington Square at 1 p.m. We will ride together to the site of Eric’s death at 1:30 SHARP. Non-bikers can go directly […]
Seminar: Green Building Design at the Black Rock Forest Consortium
| | No Comments
After a career as a public school teacher and administrator, Jack Caldwell started work with Black Rock Forest to oversee their facilities and organize their use by visitors. He will discuss his experience with green building techniques in their Science and Education Center and the Forest Lodge, discussing the costs, benefits, maintenance and qualities of […]
Sidewalk Parking Opponents Gain Ground in . . . Where?
| | 10 Comments
It is hard to tell exactly where the sidewalk meets the street above, where cars dominate the streetscape and wreck the pedestrian experience. Maybe that’s what’s to be expected in Los Angeles, where the photo was taken. As you can see, the upper row of cars are parked to straddle the curb (front wheels on the sidewalk, […]
The Weekly Carnage
| | 3 Comments
Bronx: 3 Pals Die as Car Flips on I-95 and Bursts Into Flames (Daily News) Related: 4th Victim Dies in Hospital (Journal News) Manhattan: Car Crash Leads to Fatal Nose Job (Daily News) Mt. Sinai, L.I.: Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run (Newsday) Related: Police Seek Driver (Newsday) NYC: Hit-and-Run Drivers on Rise (NY Post) Berkeley Heights, N.J.: DWI Charge After 2 […]
Brooklyn Bridge Park Transportation and Access Study Public Meeting
| | No Comments
The Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation (DBWLDC) is holding a second public meeting to discuss the Brooklyn Bridge Park transportation and access study. It will be another opportunity for the public to give feedback and share ideas on transit options to-and-from the park. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5th at 6:00 p.m. […]
Auto Insurance Break for Rail Commuters
| | 10 Comments
File this under the Duh category: New Jersey Skylands Insurance Companies has unveiled a promotion that highlights what it says is a first-of-a-kind discount for New Jersey drivers who regularly commute to work via mass transit — a rate discount of up to 10 percent. It is great to see that insurance companies are doing […]
Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Panel Discussion: Missing Links Along the East River
| | No Comments
Access to the East River has long been a greater challenge than in other parts of the city because of the presence of waterfront highways, the preponderance of privately owned land, and in some cases heavy industry along its banks. On the Hudson River, the concept of a contiguous greenway has been in development for […]
Panel Discussion: Security at What Cost? Balancing Security and Public Space
| | No Comments
A panel of design and engineering experts along with public and private sector officials will discuss the implications of security on contemporary urban streetscapes. Andrew Manshel, Senior Vice President, Real Estate Development, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, will moderate a panel including: Robert Ducibella, Principal, Ducibella Venter & Santore, Ray Gastil, Director, Manhattan Office, New York […]