Category Archives: Urbanism

“Big Real Estate’s Continuing Stranglehold Over New York City”

by John Massengale Posted on March 30, 2022

Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of unaffordable housing in New York City. He blamed the crisis on a few things, including a powerful financial “monoculture” in the city, NIMBYs, … Continue reading →

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“My Open Letter to NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriquez”

by John Massengale Posted on March 30, 2022

Dear Commissioner Rodriquez, I’m writing to you because I just signed up for a workshop to improve Canal Street that your department is running tonight. I met you when you were a Councilman. I know you care deeply about making … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle, Current, New York, Pedestrian, Slow Streets, Street Design, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on “My Open Letter to NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriquez”

Spoke Up at the Hotel Pennsylvania

by John Massengale Posted on May 13, 2021

CNU NYC is a member of the Empire Station Coalition that opposes Governor “Demo Dan” Cuomo’s plan to declare the blocks around Pennsylvania Station “blighted,” as part of an urban removal scheme for the area. Yesterday, several members of the … Continue reading →

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We Built This City To Walk And Stroll

by John Massengale Posted on July 17, 2020

“What if we treated historic districts historically, making the cars accommodate the city, rather than the other way around?”

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Crain’s New York: Change the Streets & Change the City

by John Massengale Posted on June 8, 2020

My op-ed in Crain’s New York is in the magazine this week and has been online for more than a week. The online version is longer than the print version but is behind a paywall. You can buy access to both … Continue reading →

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My Recent Op-Eds

by John Massengale Posted on June 8, 2020

New York Times New York Daily News (print) Crain’s New York Business (print) Streetsblog NYC City Limits Many others in local papers and publications like the Berkshire Record and The Patent Trader. For a complete list, click here. Bonus: Two … Continue reading →

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#OpenBrooklynBridge

by John Massengale Posted on May 29, 2020

#OpenStreets + #CarFreeBroolynBridge = #OpenBrooklynBridge Simple back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that within one year motor vehicle traffic would decrease by 100%, bicycle traffic would increase more than 1100%, and there would be twice as many pedestrians as on the High Line. … Continue reading →

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My Streetsblog Op-Ed: If Not Now, When? Changing the Car Culture

by John Massengale Posted on May 5, 2020

“We worked for years to reduce car use. If everybody drives a car, there is no space for people, there is no space to move, there is no space for commercial activities outside the shops.” ~ Milan deputy mayor Marco … Continue reading →

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A Chicane Is Not A Shared Space Place

by John Massengale Posted on October 22, 2019

A space is only a place if people want to be there. The chicane shown above is for traffic calming, not placemaking. Putting that another way, it’s a product of traffic engineering, not a piece of urban design. I understand … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle, Current, New York, Pedestrian, Slow Streets, Street Design, The Other Kind, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on A Chicane Is Not A Shared Space Place

Streets for People, or Streets for Profit?

by John Massengale Posted on June 5, 2019

My Op-Ed at City Limits (click to read) Excerpt: AVs will be programmed to stop immediately if a pedestrian steps in front of them to cross the street—and we all know that given the opportunity, New Yorkers will do that … Continue reading →

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Seaside, Battery Park City, the State of Our Streets, and New Urbanism

by John Massengale Posted on March 10, 2019

I RECENTLY spent a week in Seaside, where I was once Town Architect. In honor of Seaside, I’m uploading two essays from Street Design, The Secret to Great Cities and Towns. The first is the opening of the chapter on … Continue reading →

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My New York Times Op-Ed: “There Are Better Ways to Get Around Town”

by John Massengale Posted on May 29, 2018

New York City Streets for People After the Congestion Zone May 15, 2018 (link) The debate continues over how to make New York City’s streets less crowded, safer and better for people as well as cars. Some, like Gov. Andrew … Continue reading →

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