It's official! New York City will permanently allow the curbspace in front of bars and restaurants to be used for outdoor seating — at least for part of the year. On Thursday, August 3rd, the City Council approved a permanent Open Restaurants bill that operates from April through October.

City Council has approved Open Restaurants, allowing for a permanent curbside dining program. So what now?

The City Council is poised to vote on a bill to create a permanent Open Restaurants program, but we need your help to make sure it gets through. Contact your City Council Member today and tell them to vote yes to create a permanent outdoor dining program!

The planet has experienced record-high temperatures already this summer, and we're certainly feeling the heat in New York City. Personal vehicles are a major cause of climate change; if we hope to address this crisis, we must pursue sweeping changes to the way we design for and encourage driving.

A new DSNY rule may require restaurants to use containers for food waste. But containerization without the use of the curb lane misses the massive potential for transformative, holistic reform.

Meet the 2023 class of Open Plans’ summer interns.

Cities around the world have built wider bike lanes to ease congestion and inspire confidence in every level of rider. Wider lanes in New York’s most congested areas could help inspire mode shift and alleviate the growing pains of the electric boom.

The student leaders behind Washington Heights’ Clean Air Green Corridor talk about the work they’re doing to clean up the streets and inspire a better, greener future.

Clarence Eckerson, Jr. of Streetfilms celebrates Bike Month with a look at urban communities across the globe who organize to get their children safely to and from school on foot or bike.

An organizer of the brand new Troutman Open Street in Bushwick talks about his vision for bringing the peace and calm of wide open spaces to dense communities in New York.

Gowanus Canal Conservancy’s youth programs teach environmental stewardship and community building while making the neighborhood’s streets more livable, one block at a time.

Our inaugural Building Blocks workshop asked Morningside Heights residents to share their vision for a better block. The next step in the process is help them realize that vision.

Open Plans report “Parking Minimums are Parking Mandates: Lifting Parking Mandates in New York City” explores what parking minimums are, how they’re harmful, and how to move forward — making the case to fully eliminate New York City’s parking mandates, citywide, in the upcoming City of Yes Zoning Text Amendment.

In Queens, Thomas Edison High School is a perfect candidate for a school street, the powerful program that keeps NYC students safe and unlocks a world of potential. But to get one, Thomas Edison must engage in a daunting application process to the DOT. Open Plans is trying to help.

Watch these behind-the-scenes videos of public space transformations in New York City by Clarence Eckerson, Jr. of Streetfilms. Eckerson has filmed many of the recent winners of Open Plans’ Public Space Awards.