The dust has settled on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity City Council vote and we can clearly see the new picture of parking requirements across the city. So what did we get?

Halloween has to be one of our most public space-y holidays, right? It's all about strolling your neighborhood, seeing and being seen, soaking up the festival atmosphere as you visit with fellow revelers. This tradition hinges on having a walkable community where people aren't too far apart, you know the folks who live next door, and the sidewalks and streets are safe for kids to wander at night. In other words - it hinges on livability.

We’ve talked a lot during the lengthy public review process about why lifting parking mandates in City of Yes is crucial to building more affordable housing and a more livable city. With a just a few weeks left before City Council votes on a final version of this historic text amendment, we want to talk specifics.

Halloween has to be one of our most public space-y holidays, right? It's all about strolling your neighborhood, seeing and being seen, soaking up the festival atmosphere as you visit with fellow revelers. This tradition hinges on having a walkable community where people aren't too far apart, you know the folks who live next door, and the sidewalks and streets are safe for kids to wander at night. In other words - it hinges on livability.

We sat down with Maryam and Andy, the couple behind The Longest Table, a joyous community potluck that draws 1,000 people to their Chelsea block. Learn more about their simple-yet-powerful approach to building community in public space.

Something wicked is lurking in zoning codes. Across the country, cities have reported unsettling cases of drastically low housing production, suffocating car culture, and horrifically high rents. Developers watch helplessly as their costs skyrocket; many affordable housing plans have been completely abandoned in fear of this ancient force. It's casting a pall over city neighborhoods that is permeating our lives.

Public spaces are vital to our lives as New Yorkers. So why are they so few and far between? Under managed? Burdened by bureaucracy and red tape? It's largely because our City doesn't have a cohesive framework for thinking about people-centered space and creating it in a way that provides well-maintained, local spaces in every corner of the city.

Soon, Council Members will vote on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity; but not before they decide if they’ll change, or remove, any of its proposals. We're rallying on Thursday, September 26th to remind them that lifting parking mandates is an essential piece of the puzzle. Without lifting parking mandates, New York City cannot build the desperately needed new housing intended by City of Yes.

As school starts, streets around schools become more dangerous, especially in low-income communities of color. With so much space dedicated to cars, many schools lack outdoor areas for students to play and learn. Our city needs to prioritize safer streets for our kids by making it easier for schools to apply for Open Streets and creating slow zones near schools. It’s time to focus on giving students safer, more welcoming environments to grow.

As the pandemic forced people indoors, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights emerged as a crucial public space, providing residents with a safe place to walk, connect, and find relied from isolation. Through interviews with the locals, Henry Mei captures this shift, exploring the significant role that Paseo Park plays in building a stronger, more connected community.

Mayor Adams pledged 150 miles of new bus lanes, but with only 30 miles on track by the end of his third year, the gap between promises and reality is stark. These bus lanes aren't just a campaign promise; they're legally mandated by the Streets Plan, a law designed to make our streets safer and more accessible. Add to that Governor Hochul's indefinite pause on congestion pricing, and New Yorkers are left with escalating gridlock and pollution. Our leaders must do more than make promises—they need to act.

In 2022, we envisioned expanding the beloved Summer Streets beyond Manhattan, and with the support of Brooklyn and Queens Borough Presidents, we made it happen! By 2023, DOT extended Summer Streets to all five boroughs, even reaching Harlem. Thanks to community feedback and the dedication of local leaders, this year, you can enjoy car-free streets in any borough until 3 pm. Now, we’re asking you—what’s next for Summer Streets?

Lots of New Yorkers don't quite understand what City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will do - or what it won't do. Throughout the recent public hearing process, we heard misconceptions about how the zoning reforms will effect neighborhoods. In this edition of the newsletter, we share three ways to (nicely!) correct a New Yorker who has City of Yes all wrong.

A few scenarios where school streets can come to the rescue: a building doesn't have recreation space, inside or outside, the street outside a school is gridlocked with traffic, making it dangerous for students to enter or exit, a sidewalk is overflowing with kids, parents, & educators during peak hours, or construction has limited the available space inside or outside a school building.

Learn exactly what daylighting is, why it’s so great for drivers and pedestrians, and how to get more of it in your neighborhood with this new Streetfilm.