Open Plans 2023 - 2024
Legislative Agenda
Open Plans' Legislative Agenda is centered around four key policy areas that make a city livable. These pieces work together, and each one is essential to the success of the others.
These policy areas require action in (1) the City Council, (2) by Borough Presidents, (3) the Administration and Agencies, and at (4) the State level. When activated together, these initiatives build toward a truly livable city.
Making Our Streets More Livable
Livable streets are joyful streets where neighbors can foster community, children can safely bike or walk to school on their own, and seniors can comfortably cross the street and get around their neighborhood. They provide an alternative to harmful, car-centric design by prioritizing our most vulnerable users instead of drivers. Adopting the following bills and ideas would be significant steps in making New York City’s streets more livable.
Creating More Joyful and Equitable Public Spaces
New York City’s streets, sidewalks, and plazas are central to public life. We use them everyday for walks around the block, chatting with neighbors, doing business, and much more. Our government has a responsibility to ensure that these spaces are accessible, safe, and well-managed. The following bill ideas will help ensure our public spaces are accessible, equitable, and joyful.
Reforming the Curb
Curb space in New York City is incredibly valuable. While a variety of functions happen at the curb — bike and bus lanes, bike parking, outdoor dining, passenger pick-up and drop-off, commercial and neighborhood loading, and more — the vast majority of our curb space is designated for private vehicle storage. Instead of evolving to accommodate these new uses, the curb has remained a space primarily for free parking for decades. The curb and its uses should be reformed, and these bills and bill ideas play an important role towards that goal.
Reforming Our Parking System
For too long, private vehicle storage has been valued over almost all other uses of our streets, and parking lots and garages are endemic in many neighborhoods. We can reform our parking system and rightsize the relationship between parking and our city — discouraging the over-building of parking spots while equitably and efficiently using our existing parking supply — through legislation and action.
