Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Urban Design

A template for two-way street design with pedestrian medians, protected bike lanes, transit lanes, and other elements from the "Vision Zero Design Standard." Image: Transportation Alternatives

TA: Vision Zero Demands Bolder Street Designs From City Hall and DOT

By David Meyer | Jan 3, 2017 | 11 Comments

The de Blasio administration needs to redesign streets more thoroughly if it's going to reach the goal of eliminating traffic deaths, Transportation Alternatives says in a new report.

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Simple, Creative Ideas to Build a Better Bus Stop

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 1, 2015 | No Comments

Waiting for the bus can be a pain. To make transit more appealing, nothing beats frequent service, but studies have shown that if you’re going to wait, small improvements like shelters and information about when the next bus is coming can make the wait feel shorter. That was a big impetus behind “Trick Out My Trip,” an […]

This Map Shows Where de Blasio Wants to Reduce Parking Mandates

By Stephen Miller | Sep 23, 2015 | 20 Comments

In February, the Department of City Planning outlined the broad strokes of how the de Blasio administration will seek to change the rules that shape new development in New York. After eight months of public meetings and behind-the-scenes work, City Hall’s proposals were released this week. The documents reveal details of how the city wants to handle parking minimums in […]

Eyes on the Street: Williamsburg’s “Lively,” “Beautiful” New Garage Wall

By Stephen Miller | Aug 21, 2015 | 14 Comments

An apartment building in Williamsburg perfectly illustrates how parking minimums in New York’s zoning code make the city’s streets and sidewalks worse. Last year, a joint venture of Alex. Brown Realty and Largo Investments finished construction on a 33-unit rental project at 281 Union Avenue in Williamsburg. The seven-story building, roughly the same size as its neighbors, has something those older buildings don’t: 17 parking spaces. […]

Hunter Students Offer a Multi-Modal Vision for Queens Boulevard

By Stephen Miller | Jun 26, 2015 | 12 Comments

About a year ago, the Transportation Alternatives Queens activist committee approached the Hunter College urban planning program about Queens Boulevard. The advocates wanted help jumpstarting real-world changes on the street known as the Boulevard of Death. It was just a few months after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths. If […]

Envisioning a New Purpose for the Space Beneath NYC’s Elevated Structures

By Stephen Miller | Jun 18, 2015 | 14 Comments

There are nearly 700 miles of elevated highways, rail lines, and bridges crisscrossing New York City. They tend to be dreary places, but they don’t have to be. A report released today by the Design Trust for Public Space and DOT, Under the Elevated, envisions new uses for the spaces beneath these elevated structures. Already, land […]

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