Students can now apply for a summer internship at Open Plans! Our interns dive into hands-on projects that put them at the center of the livability world, working closely with Open Plans staff, meeting stakeholders across the city , and working on projects that directly impact our streets and public spaces.

It's up to New Yorkers like you to tell us who should win this year's Best Public Space Activator award at February 29th's Public Space Awards! Polls close this Sunday, February 25th and we'll announce the winner LIVE during the awards.

When you join your Community Board, you become a part of the conversations that shape your neighborhood. You don’t have to own property to be a CB member, you just need to live or work within the district. Your neighborhood needs diverse voices like yours!

Starting today, you can decide who wins the final award at our Public Space Awards on Thursday, February 29th! Our People’s Choice poll will crown one Public Space Activator and it's up to New Yorkers like you to tell us who should win. Polls are open now!

There’s a process underway on the Upper West Side that aims to tackle a vexing inequity and inefficiency on New York City streets, and we’re pretty excited about its potential. The NYC DOT is conducting a Smart Curbs Pilot with the goal of rebalancing curb use to benefit all New Yorkers, not just the minority who own cars.

February probably isn't most people's favorite time of year. It's been cold for so long and spring seems so far off. One of few holidays is Valentine's Day? Which is not universally loved. But these days I love February and those late-winter feels, because that's when we hold our annual Public Space Awards at Open Plans.

Not only did Open Plans meet its goal to raise public support from 350 donors in the year end season, this awesome community stepped up above and beyond for our best year-end fundraising campaign ever!

As a nonprofit organization, nearly all of Open Plans’ income is from our community of generous donors; a community that has continued to evolve and expand, much like our impact on the city.

Each and every day, we talk to New Yorkers about their experiences living, working, and playing in this city. And, each and every day, we fight to make those experiences more connective, joyful, beautiful, and safe.

Do you hear that in the distance? Is it sleigh bells? The tinkling piano of a holiday party? No, actually, it’s 40% more delivery trucks circling our city blocks looking for a place to unload holiday freight - and not finding one. Online shopping skyrockets this time of year, bringing many more trucks to the streets. But the problems don’t stop with increased congestion.

From successful advocacy outcomes to newfound freedoms in public spaces, 2023 has been an eventful year. In this edition of the newsletter, the Open Plans team looks back and shares their thanksgiving tidings.

Asking people how they met their favorite people is infinitely interesting. Woven through these stories are shared values, shared vision, sometimes a shared love of food or books. In our case, it’s our shared love of New York City and the streets in our neighborhood.

Holidays are more fun on people-centered streets. The magic of people-centered streets was on full display this fall. Thanks to DOT expanding on last year's first-ever Trick or Streets program, over 100 streets went car free in late October. Across the 5 boroughs, communities held costume parades, live music, candy giveaways, and Dia De Los Muertos altars.

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!

Stop by our fun, one-day-only installation this Saturday, October 21, from 10AM to 6PM as part of the fabulous Open House New York Weekend. Ever wonder what it would look like if the city prioritized people over parking spots? And what you can do to make that vision a reality? We've cooked up an experience that will allow you to step inside a better, more livable future - one where our housing comes before cars.