Urban Design
Streetsblog Basics
Op-Ed: The Atlantic Avenue Rebuild Is Taking Too Long
The next chapter of the Department of Transportation’s long-awaited rebuild of Atlantic Avenue — one of the city’s deadliest corridors — won’t likely start until 2021.
June 24, 2019
Cycle of Rage: New Streetfilms Doc Shows New York’s Bike Infrastructure Is Ultimately a Joke
Watch the latest Streetfilms documentary by Clarence Eckerson Jr. and you will realize that all we get are tiny improvements, at best, from Mayor de Blasio.
June 20, 2019
Group Calls for Amsterdaming Most of Lower Manhattan
Crowded streets in Lower Manhattan must give more space to throngs of tourists and other pedestrians with new designs that would bring motorists to a crawl, says a neighborhood group.
March 19, 2019
Could A Major Fix for the Prospect Expressway Be On “Deck”?
Or maybe the roadway will be turned into an at-grade boulevard.
August 28, 2018
Barcelona’s Superblocks: A “New Urban Model” to Reclaim Streets for People
In the U.S., the term “superblock” conjures up the excess of urban renewal and the breakdown of walkable street grids. But in Barcelona, a different type of superblock is making streets more hospitable and humane.
May 3, 2017
Get a Glimpse of Barcelona’s “Superblocks” in Action
Barcelona is making headway on its "superblocks," clusters of nine city blocks where car traffic is restricted and public space is expanded. This BBC video shows how a superblock functions: Most of the street space is reserved for walking and biking, while motor vehicles are limited to narrow, indirect rights-of-way.
February 13, 2017
TA: Vision Zero Demands Bolder Street Designs From City Hall and DOT
The de Blasio administration needs to redesign streets more thoroughly if it's going to reach the goal of eliminating traffic deaths, Transportation Alternatives says in a new report.
January 3, 2017
Simple, Creative Ideas to Build a Better Bus Stop
Waiting for the bus can be a pain. To make transit more appealing, nothing beats frequent service, but studies have shown that if you're going to wait, small improvements like shelters and information about when the next bus is coming can make the wait feel shorter.
October 1, 2015
This Map Shows Where de Blasio Wants to Reduce Parking Mandates
In February, the Department of City Planning outlined the broad strokes of how the de Blasio administration will seek to change the rules that shape new development in New York. After eight months of public meetings and behind-the-scenes work, City Hall's proposals were released this week. The documents reveal details of how the city wants to handle parking minimums in new residential buildings, and it looks like incremental progress, not a major breakthrough, for parking reform.
September 23, 2015
Eyes on the Street: Williamsburg’s “Lively,” “Beautiful” New Garage Wall
An apartment building in Williamsburg perfectly illustrates how parking minimums in New York's zoning code make the city's streets and sidewalks worse.
August 21, 2015