Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Public Space Managers

Curbside space turned into dining on Mott Street. File photo: Gersh Kuntzman

Hearing Day: Could Fees for Outdoor Dining Lead to Proper Pricing of City’s Curbs?

By Eve Kessler | Feb 9, 2022 | No Comments

The DOT envisions charging for space now given away in the Open Restaurant program. But its piecemeal approach shows the need for public space management.

The city is moving to make outdoor dining permanent — like this one seen here on Mott Street last year. File photo: Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group

Outdoor Dining Under Fire: Advocates Want Equity at the Curb, Not Parking

By Eve Kessler | Feb 7, 2022 | No Comments

The City Council will hear testimony on Tuesday from many opponents of the Open Restaurants program — and livable streets activists agree on one thing with the NIMBYs: curbside space should generate the most public benefit (in other words, it isn't for free parking).

Passengers standing around the main waiting area at Moynihan Station, because they can't sit. Photo: Dave Colon

STANDING ORDER: Legislators Demand Public Seating at the Moynihan Train Hall

By Dave Colon | Feb 4, 2022 | No Comments

Every bum needs a place to relax.

The Meatpacking Business Improvement District turned Little West 12th Street between Washington and Greenwich streets into a true open street. File photo: Gersh Kuntzman

Streetfilms: ‘Talking Public Spaces’ in the Meatpacking District

By Eve Kessler | Dec 1, 2021 | No Comments

See it: Gorgeous plazas with lush plantings in movable containers. Refurbished 19th-century factory buildings on quaint cobblestone streets. People sipping drinks under red cloth umbrellas — and hardly a car to be seen. Are we really in the Manhattan? Yes.

Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn is a successful open street, but too many others have challenges. It will take a city focus on public space management to ensure that people-centered placemaking thrives. File photo: Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council

What NYC Needs Now: Public Space Management

By Eve Kessler | Jun 8, 2021 | No Comments

A lively online session looks at the promise and pitfalls of open streets.

ANALYSIS: What IS de Blasio’s ‘Permanent Open Streets’ Plan Anyway?

By Gersh Kuntzman | Mar 16, 2021 | No Comments

Community groups are raising their own funding, volunteer ranks are thinning, drivers are getting aggressive — will this lone benefit of the pandemic collapse as the mayor dithers?

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