Category Archives: Urbanism

What’s good for General Motors is good for America

On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system based on individuals in private cars driving everywhere for everything, climate change would be a very different—and smaller—problem than it is.” I posted the … Continue reading

Posted in Current, New Urbanism, New York, Urbanism | Comments Off on What’s good for General Motors is good for America

Traffic Flow and the Status Quo: There are better ways to spend $10 billion than rebuilding the BQE

New York City plans to spend more than $10 billion on a project that will speed up climate change and increase the number of New Yorkers killed by traffic and pollution. The good news is that the city will hold … Continue reading

Posted in New York, Slow Streets, Street Design, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on Traffic Flow and the Status Quo: There are better ways to spend $10 billion than rebuilding the BQE

Car Free Brooklyn Bridge – photos and drawings

A Car-Free Brooklyn Bridge Is Possible Images and Illustratons AFTER: Aerial view looking east towards a car-free Brooklyn Bridge. Centre Street and Park Row next to the Brooklyn Bridge are reimagined as an extension of City Hall Park. © 2020 … Continue reading

Posted in Beauty, Bicycle, Culture, Current, Good Kind, Historic Preservation, Local, New Urbanism, New York, Pedestrian, Slow Streets, Street Design, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on Car Free Brooklyn Bridge – photos and drawings

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

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

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Current, Global, Historic Preservation, New Urbanism, New York, Urbanism | Comments Off on “Big Real Estate’s Continuing Stranglehold Over New York City”

“My Open Letter to NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriquez”

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

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

Posted in -, Architecture, Beauty, Classical, Culture, Current, Good Kind, Historic Preservation, Joke, Live from New York, Local, New York, Urbanism | Comments Off on Spoke Up at the Hotel Pennsylvania

We Built This City To Walk And Stroll

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

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Bicycle, Classical, Culture, Current, Good Kind, Historic Preservation, Local, New Urbanism, New York, Pedestrian, Personal, Quote of the Day, Slow Streets, Street Design, Urbanism, Video, Walkability | Comments Off on We Built This City To Walk And Stroll

Tales From My Privileged Youth

I WAS LUCKY. I was sitting around with friends during the spring term of my senior year in college. “I want to go to Europe,” I said. “How can I get a job there?” “Call Franco at the Red Garter … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Classical, Craft, Culture, divine, Education, Good Kind, Historic Preservation, Materials, My Privileged Youth, Pedestrian, Slow Streets, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on Tales From My Privileged Youth

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

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

Posted in -, Culture, Good Kind, Local, New Urbanism, New York, Pedestrian, Slow Streets, Street Design, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on Crain’s New York: Change the Streets & Change the City

My Recent Op-Eds

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

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Bicycle, Classical, Culture, Current, Global, Historic Preservation, Live from New York, New Urbanism, New York, Pedestrian, Slow Streets, Street Design, The Other Kind, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on My Recent Op-Eds

#OpenBrooklynBridge

#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

Posted in -, New Urbanism, New York, Pedestrian, Slow Street of the Day, Slow Streets, Street of the Day, Urbanism, Walkability | Comments Off on #OpenBrooklynBridge