Let’s talk livable streets with Dr. Bruce Appleyard
Community and social cohesion are at the heart of a livable city. For decades, the name Appleyard has been synonymous with the research that powers the movement for urban quality of life. Join Street Plans and Open Plans in welcoming Dr. Bruce Appleyard as he shares insights from his book Livable Streets 2.0.
Presentation followed by a panel discussion led by PlacemakingX’s Ethan Kent. Joining Dr. Appleyard in conversation will be streets advocates to discuss the experiences of New Yorkers here at home.
Community Board Social Hour
This administration’s zoning code initiatives (AKA NYC’s City of Yes) have the power to reimagine the quality of our streets, the affordability of our housing, and the health of our climate.
Join Open Plans and Open New York for a fun, festive gathering of community board members. Connect with fellow neighborhood leaders across the boroughs, while exploring opportunities for cross-collaboration and sharing knowledge — on proposals within CoY as well as other issues facing your neck-of-the-woods.
Light snacks, drinks, and ice cream provided.
Public Space Awards
Join the Open Plans community on Thursday, February 29th (leap day!) for a festive celebration of the people behind our city’s defining public spaces. From neighborhood-level ingenuity to citywide stewardship, the second annual Public Space Awards cheers the leaders and groups that nurture daily life in New York City’s public forum. Save the date and add it to your calendar!
We hope to see you there!
#FYI: Community Boards | Lunch Session
Wednesday lunch hour. Join Open Plans for the first informational session of our three-part series on community boards! These advisory panels, made up of members from the community, can have a profound impact on the look and feel of a neighborhood. In January’s session, we’ll focus on the fundamentals of boards: what they are, why they matter, and how to join yours. This webinar is for anyone interested in tips and advice when applying for their local board or simply curious to learn more about CBs in the city and how to ’s in the city and how to get involved.
#FYI: Community Boards | Evening Session
Tuesday evening. Join Open Plans for the first informational session of our three-part series on community boards! These advisory panels, made up of members from the community, can have a profound impact on the look and feel of a neighborhood. In January’s session, we’ll focus on the fundamentals of boards: what they are, why they matter, and how to join yours. This webinar is for anyone interested in tips and advice when applying for their local board or simply curious to learn more about CBs in the city and how to ’s in the city and how to get involved.
OHNY Weekend | People Over Parking: An Installation
What are we forfeiting by prioritizing space for cars? Open Plans invites you to imagine new possibilities at this fun installation. With New York City facing converging housing, climate, and livability crises, we operate under hidden, Moses-era rules that force new buildings to include parking. These mandates have dire consequences for affordability and street life — but there’s a movement to eliminate them. Step inside a better future and find out — how can New York’s precious physical space better benefit us all?
OHNY Weekend
October 21 | 10AM - 6PM
66 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
An Advocate’s Guide to a Livable City: Highlights from Open Plans’ Legislative Agenda for 2023-24
The movement for livable city streets is gaining more momentum each year, and decision-makers are noticing the groundswell. Join Open Plans’ policy team for an introduction to our legislative priorities for in 2024 — what city and state officials can do to serve their constituents, what it means for New Yorkers, and how you can get involved!
Community Board Social Hour
Join Open Plans for a fun, festive gathering of community board members in the city. Connect with other neighborhood leaders across the boroughs on shared challenges and victories, while exploring opportunities for cross-collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Send the summer off right with some ice cream, bubbly, and your fellow New Yorkers!🍨
RSVP
Curb the Chaos: A Convening on Curb Management
Curb the Chaos is a one-day, in-person event* bringing together minds from across the country to share knowledge, experience, best practices, and new technology for reforming the way cities use their valuable curb lanes. This exploration of the curb will use the findings within Open Plans’ first-ever large-scale report on reforming, reimagining, and reclaiming the curb as inspiration and springboard for group discussions. Rather than just a series of panels, Curb the Chaos will be a series of guided open dialogues convening agency leaders, elected officials, curb stakeholders, and technology companies working in American cities implementing diverse curb reform programs. Together, these discussions will foster consensus on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s on the horizon for curbs across the country.
Getting There Together: Micromobility Spring Social
Join us for brunch and socializing and to discuss the results of our UWS Micromobility Questionnaire and Bike Lane Field Survey.
Are you one of the 78% of people who would use micromobility more often if the infrastructure was better? Or maybe you're part of the whopping 95% for whom sharing the road with motor vehicles is a concern?
Come eat and drink and share your experience.
Not so fun fact: we found cars and trucks obstructing 57% of blocks on unprotected bike lanes on the UWS vs (only!) 11% of blocks on protected bike lanes.
Our outdoor event is scheduled for Saturday, June 3. In the event of inclement weather, it will be rescheduled for the following morning on Sunday, June 4 at 11AM.
FYI: Community Boards Session 3 (New Member Guidance)
Join Open Plans for the third informational session of our three-part series on community boards! In May’s session, we'll focus on helpful tips for once you’re on your community board: insight into a typical meeting agenda, what your role is as part of the board, and how to amplify the issues and voices of your community. We’ll also revisit resolutions and the strategy of building support amongst fellow board members to help them pass.
Book Launch: Paved Paradise by Henry Grabar
Our cities are meant for so much more than the storage of private vehicles, and yet parking plays a central role in nearly every aspect of modern life. In Paved Paradise, author Henry Grabar interrogates parking’s “death grip on America.” From affordable housing, to climate change, to traffic violence and walkable neighborhoods, Grabar sheds light on the way parking policy, for better or worse, makes the world turn. Join Open Plans for an evening of community and discussion to launch Henry Grabar’s new book Paved Paradise!
The author will be joined in conversation by VICE staff writer Aaron Gordon, followed by a Q&A with the audience and book-signing.
Light refreshments served.
Future Streets Rally
Join Open Plans, Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, and fellow public space allies on Brooklyn’s immensely popular Vanderbilt Avenue Open Street for the Future Streets Rally! We’re calling on the City to improve the Open Streets program by providing the necessary resources for equity and expansion. Open Streets are often run by overburdened volunteers and City support is essential for sustainability, equity and expansion of the beloved program. Drawing from three years of hard-won experience, organizers and advocates have identified crucial next steps for the Open Streets program, and will rally for increased financial investment, adequate maintenance support, and a strategic timeline for capital improvements.
FYI: Parking Mandates (Online Info Session)
“New York City housing is unaffordable.” It’s an epithet that’s been repeated for decades and for the average resident, the housing crisis can seem intractable. But there are steps that our city can take for the sake of a more livable and sustainable city. Hiding in the city’s Zoning Resolution are outdated parking mandates, a remnant of the car-centric Moses era. Join Open Plans for this online informational session on what they are, and what lifting them will mean for the future of New York City housing, development, transportation, and climate.
Register here
#StreetArts2023: A Celebration of Earth Day and the Arts
It’s Open Streets season! Catch Open Plans this Sunday at Park to Park 103’s first event of the season. There will be environmentally-theme dance performances, art, live music, and other fun activities throughout the day. Come out and spend time with your community as we celebrate Earth Day and enjoy the start of spring!
📅 April 23 (Sunday) 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
📍W 103 St. between Broadway and West End Ave
Learn More
Car-Free Earth Day on Berry Open Street
Catch us on April 22nd as we celebrate a Car-Free Earth Day with the NYC Department of Transportation on Berry Open Street, Banker’s Anchor, and Bedford Slip. Berry Open Street will have heaps of programming and activities for all ages beginning at 11 AM on Berry & South 3rd St. At 12 PM, Jody Sperling will dazzle with her Time Lapse Dance Performance. And 1:30 PM, Tilted Axes will rock and serenade with a musical performance.
All the exciting activities will run until 3 PM, so get there early to ensure you can enjoy all the fun! Be sure to catch programming and tabling events from Berry Street Garden, Brooklyn Public Library, Friends of Haiti, Greenpoint Art Circle, Mi Escuelita, People’s Earth Week Climate Justice Art Show, Skate Yogi, Stoop Stories, and a Repotting Workshop with Planter Rob.
See you there!
Rally to Plan for People, Not Parking
Join Open Plans, advocates, elected officials and your fellow New Yorkers to rally for the Department of City Planning to lift all parking mandates, citywide.
These outdated mandates require that parking be built in most developments, regardless of need or demand. They increase the cost of housing, encourage car ownership, and contribute to the climate crisis.
FYI: Community Boards Session 2 (Presenting and Passing Resolutions)
Wednesday evening. Join Open Plans for the second informational session of our three-part series on community boards! These advisory panels, made up of members from the community, can have a profound impact on the look and feel of a neighborhood. In March’s session, we'll focus on resolutions: what they are, why a community board presents them, and how they can impact your community. We’ll cover the stages of a resolution, share some model resolutions on street safety and livability, what to know if you want your board to pass one, and how to build support for it.
FYI: Community Boards Session 2 (Presenting and Passing Resolutions)
Tuesday lunch hour. Join Open Plans for the second informational session of our three-part series on community boards! These advisory panels, made up of members from the community, can have a profound impact on the look and feel of a neighborhood. In March’s session, we'll focus on resolutions: what they are, why a community board presents them, and how they can impact your community. We’ll cover the stages of a resolution, share some model resolutions on street safety and livability, what to know if you want your board to pass one, and how to build support for it.
Community Board Happy Hour
Join Open Plans and Transportation Alternatives this Friday and chat with Community Board members as they answer your questions about what it means to be on your local board. If you've ever been interested in learning about the inner workings of community boards, then catch the Community Board Happy Hour on 🗓️ 3/9 Thursday from 6-8 PM at The Hugh, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022. See you there!
Public Space Awards
Join us for a Celebration of Public Space. Open Plans is throwing a party to recognize and celebrate the hardworking people and groups behind the public spaces that make New York City the vibrant, people-centered place that it is!
Location: 148 Lafayette, Penthouse, New York, NY 10013
Date & Time: March 2, 2023 from 7 PM to 9 PM EST
Learn more about the awardees on our Event Landing Page.
Get tickets here.
We hope to see you there!
Library Tabling Event
Stop by our table with Flatbush Streets for People this Tuesday, February 21, at the Flatbush Public Library to learn more about how you can become more involved in the neighborhood and advocate for safe and joyful public spaces!
Public Space Storytelling: Art, Design, and Conversation
Join us for an evening of Public Space Storytelling: Art, Design, and Conversation where we will ask oursleves and the group: How do you tell stories in or about public space?
The conversation will be two-part. First, a series of 2 minute pechakucha presentations on a question, prompt, practice, project, theory, or challenge you have followed by mingling to build connections with fellow storytellers. A bit of an Open Mic! If you are interested in presenting, please email Jackson Chabot at jacksonchabot@openplans.org with the few slides that you will use.
Our goal is to share stories and develop a network of people that care about public space.
Community Board Happy Hour
Join Open Plans and Transportation Alternatives this Friday and chat with Community Board members as they answer your questions about what it means to be on your local board. If you've ever been interested in learning about the inner workings of community boards, then catch the Community Board Happy Hour on 🗓️ 2/10 Friday from 6-8 PM at Cobblestones Pub and Biergarten, 118-18 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY. See you there!
#FYI: Community Boards | Evening Session
Wednesday evening. Join Open Plans for the first informational session of our three-part series on community boards! These advisory panels, made up of members from the community, can have a profound impact on the look and feel of a neighborhood. In January’s session, we’ll focus on the fundamentals of boards: what they are, why they matter, and how to join yours. This webinar is for anyone interested in tips and advice when applying for their local board or simply curious to learn more about CBs in the city and how to get involved.
#FYI: Community Boards | Lunch Session
Tuesday lunch hour. Join Open Plans for the first informational session of our three-part series on community boards! These advisory panels, made up of members from the community, can have a profound impact on the look and feel of a neighborhood. In January’s session, we’ll focus on the fundamentals of boards: what they are, why they matter, and how to join yours. This webinar is for anyone interested in tips and advice when applying for their local board or simply curious to learn more about CBs in the city and how to get involved.