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As we approach the year-end season of giving, here is your friendly reminder that Open Plans is a 501c3 non-profit. Charitable donations from readers and advocates like you make it possible for us to reimagine New York’s streets as places that put people first; where New Yorkers of all ages and abilities feel welcome, safe, and happy.

We hope you will keep Open Plans in mind and support us with a donation before the year is out!

I'm thankful that I'm able to advocate for a more livable city through our reports and research — and that it's working! In February, we released our Parking Minimums are Parking Mandates, and in June we released Curb the Chaos: Solutions for Cities at the Curb. We've made amazing progress on both issues: in September, Mayor Adams followed our advocacy and proposed lifting parking mandates citywide, and in the same month, DOT released their Curb Management Action Plan (most of which was recommended in our report)!

Curbside coffees and drinks in the sun! Ever since the pandemic allowed businesses to reclaim parking spots for dining and drinks, I’ve loved the newfound freedom. On nice days, my friends and I used to rack our brains trying to remember the few places that offered seats outside. Now, the curb is our oyster. I’m thrilled that City Council made the bill permanent this year and I’m crossing my fingers they’ll eventually make it year round (you can bet Open Plans will keep advocating for that!).

I’m thankful for the opportunity to connect with so many amazing community board members and advocates across the city who truly care about safe streets. From advocating for safer intersections to reimagining the way we use our curb, their leadership in urging the city for safer streets has inspired me and has shown the amazing things we can do when we work together. Continue to build off of their incredible work by signing our CTA for safer intersections in NYC!!

This year, as always, I’m so grateful for our incredible Open Plans staff. This work can be grueling at times, but this team does it with joy, enthusiasm and commitment. From weekly team meetings full of laughter to engaging kids on the streets, bringing excitement to working with Community Boards (really!), writing in-depth reports, and hosting fabulous events, our team has fun and works so hard. To every single staff member: we couldn’t do this without each other, each of you makes our team stronger and our work more impactful. Thank you!

I’m grateful for people who want to change their neighborhoods, block by block, barricade by barricade. Lei, a lifelong resident of Washington Heights, reached out to me because two schools along his commute were often facing difficult pick-ups and drop-offs, and once he heard about school streets, he knew it’d be life changing. Since then, we’ve been advocating for school streets across every school in Washington Heights - and last week, Lei and I canvassed those very schools together! Parents and admin were beyond excited, and so are we!

This past year has made me ever-more grateful for the engaged community of StreetopiaUWS. Whether it was riding block-by-block in the cold to collect data for our Upper West Side Micromobility Report, or showing up in the evening to a Community Board meeting to support curbside trash containerization, meaningful change only happens when we come together. The fight for more livable streets can feel daunting at times, and progress can feel far too slow. But the community we make along the way is truly what powers the work and keeps me motivated every day. 

My gratitude abounds for all the neighborhood groups and volunteers behind our city’s Open Streets. Their selfless dedication and commitment, dedicating hundreds of hours — perhaps thousands — to tirelessly moving barriers, generating endless program ideas, and showcasing profound and creative ways to put people first in our streets and public spaces, speak volumes. This year marked a pivotal moment with the Adams administration appointing NYC's first Chief Public Realm Officer, providing much-needed central leadership and support. I hope this momentum endures and that these heroes receive the necessary resources to not only sustain their efforts but also to dream bigger and bolder for our public spaces

I feel grateful to live in a city where the vast majority of people can get their daily needs met without a car. Because of that, New York City remains a magnet for a diverse array of people, which in turn, makes New York City an engaging, vibrant place to live. What an incredible virtuous cycle! I’m an advocate so I will always yearn and fight for more — how about some bold, visionary leadership like in Paris or Montreal? Or Superblocks like in Barcelona? Or playgrounds in the middle of the street like in Amsterdam? — but there’s no city in the US that excites me the way that New York does.

It’s been an eventful year. I’m grateful for the inspiration from the many community-driven partners who have joined us in our work throughout 2023. Life on our city’s streets and spaces can be welcoming to all; I’ve been heartened by the collaborative spirit of like-minded people and teams that are willing this into reality with us. It takes conscious, engaged New Yorkers of all walks of life to show up and make it happen — and we are showing up at brainstorming social hours, book talks, group learning sessions, outside of schools and on the street. Specifically, I’d like to call out the public space managers around the city. They’re such an integral part of our city’s future, and the enthusiasm at our annual Public Space Awards is evidence of their impact.

State law forbids any vehicle to park 20 feet from an intersection because it dramatically reduces sightlines and creates dangerous, sometimes deadly, conditions for road users. Yet New York City exempts itself from the law. Send our letter telling City leadership that you support universal daylighting for safer streets.

Submit a letter >

The paint is dry on West 103rd, which means a years-long Street Improvement Project is finally complete! After four years of community engagement, 103rd Street between Amsterdam and West End Avenue's traffic calming, street art, curb extensions, planters, & safety stones have transformed the corridor into a people-centered public space.

How did we get there? >

Monday, November 20th at 10am, DOT will hold a public hearing to discuss the new rules of New York's first-ever outdoor dining program. There's still time to ask for a year-round program! Use our toolkit to craft your testimony - submit written comment or join the Zoom on November 20th.

See the toolkit >

📋 Applications are now open for 2024 Open Streets and public space programming partners!

🥳 Thursday, November 16th at 7pm, Berry Open Street hosts a community celebration and tour of the newly installed safety features including daylighting, bulbouts, bike racks, and planters. The walk will conclude at Berry & N 8th followed by a celebration at George and Jack’s Tap Room at 103 Berry St. 

🦃 Get into the Thanksgiving spirit at the 2nd Annual Turkey Trot Scavenger Hunt on the Berry Open Street, Sunday, November 19th from 10am to 3pm. The Scavenger Hunt will kick off at Bedford Slip with a group photo at 11am and end with an awards ceremony at Bankers Anchor (North 15th St Plaza) from 2:00-3:00pm.

👩🏽‍💻 Join the City and Council Member Sandy Nurse to learn more about recent and upcoming projects around the Broadway Junction Station Complex in Brooklyn, including new public space, street redesigns, and new MTA station amenities. The next virtual session is Thursday, November 30th from 6-7pm.

🛴 Tell the City which Eastern Queens locations should get new shared e-scooter docks! The pilot area covers Queens Community Boards 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13 and neighborhoods including Flushing, Kew Gardens Hills, and Jamaica.

Open Plans |  377 Broadway, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10013-3907

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