Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Urban Design

New MTA Grates Double as Seating, Bike Racks

By Brad Aaron | | 12 Comments
Not to steal anyone’s thunder, but the MTA has rolled out the second of three prototype grates designed to keep stormwater out of the subways while doubling as street furniture. The first design, though incorporating a bench, is more artful and less functional than the prototype shown above, which includes seating as well as bike […]

Weigh in on the Future of City Bike Racks

By Brad Aaron | | 18 Comments
The 10 finalists in the CityRacks Design Competition, announced last March, are on the streets and ready for use, with prototypes installed in four of the five boroughs (sorry, Staten Island). Rack locations are mapped on the contest blog, where the city is accepting comments on each design. Nine of the prototype racks are also […]

Grand Army Plaza, Reinvented

By Jason Varone | | 1 Comment
Last Saturday, the opening of the Design Trust for Public Space’s "Reinventing Grand Army Plaza" exhibit quickly transformed the plaza, normally devoid of any street life, into a vibrant public space. Visitors were welcomed with live music, a dance performance, food and exhibition tours. This photo set on Flickr has over 400 shots from Saturday’s […]

Share Your Green Urban Story

By Brad Aaron | | 7 Comments
SustainLane, known for its ranking of greenest US cities, is looking for short essays on sustainable urban living. Here are a few ideas from the contest guidelines:   Tell us the story about the commuter rail that doesn’t exist (voted down yet again). Would it run near your neighborhood, if it did? Tell us about […]
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