• Subject: Our zoning code is haunted 👻

Open Plans: Transforming the streets of NYC to be truly livable

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Something wicked is lurking in zoning codes. Across the country, cities have reported unsettling cases of drastically low housing production, suffocating car culture, and horrifically high rents. Developers watch helplessly as their costs skyrocket; many affordable housing plans have been completely abandoned in fear of this ancient force. It's casting a pall over city neighborhoods that is permeating our lives.

 

But there is hope! Many cities, including Buffalo, San Francisco, and Minneapolis, have already exorcised this harmful spirit. In those cities today, the gloom is lifting. They are building more affordable housing and more vibrant, livable neighborhoods.

 

We must lift our curse! Parking mandates have been haunting New York City since the 1960s, forcing an anti-livability, car-centric malice upon us all. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the solution. With it, we can free ourselves from these harmful mandates and envision a brighter future.

How can you help bust this ghost? Sign up to testify (in person, online, or via written statement) at the next public hearing. Tell your scary story about how parking mandates are prioritizing cars before people - and urge City Council to save us from this wicked spirit once and for all! Use the button below to sign up and plan your testimony with our talking points.

TOOLKIT
 
 
 

RALLY

Yes to Housing rally!

Show your support for lifting parking mandates and the other visionary proposals in City of Yes text amendment by joining your fellow New Yorkers at this 8:30AM rally, which takes place directly before the City Council hearing begins. The more people the better!

RSVP
People stand on the sidewalk holding rally signs urging the city to prioritize people over parking

OPINION

Lifting parking mandates is lever for more housing

Lifting parking mandates is not just one isolated proposal within City of Yes – it's the linchpin that holds everything together. None of the other proposals for more housing work as well with mandates in place.

Read more
A lifeless neighborhood corner one block from a subway hub in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo by Streetsblog

STREETFILMS

A vision for 72nd Street 

Streetfilms is uptown in this latest video, diving into StreetopiaUWS's new proposal for West 72nd Street, which aims to rightsize the amount of space allocated to people & connects Riverside Park and Central Park with a safe & comfortable greenway.

Watch
A graphic with the text: For Housing, Livability, and Climate. Join us in a virtual meeting with your council member to life parking mandates''

TAKE ACTION

Get your CM on the line re: parking mandates 

This fall, join fellow NYers in a virtual meeting with your Council Member to push for lifting parking mandates, making way for safer, more walkable streets. Sign up now & we’ll give you everything you need to advocate effectively.

Join us
A graphic with the text: For Housing, Livability, and Climate. Join us in a virtual meeting with your council member to life parking mandates''
 

Things to do

🗽 The 2024 OHNY Weekend Lineup is now live! Peek behind NYC's curtain at Open House New York Weekend, October 18-20. This annual festival offers rare access to the city's diverse spaces—from new skyline-shaping buildings to tranquil parks and archives.

 

💡Help shape the future of Paseo Park/34th Ave Open Street! Share your thoughts at one of two visioning workshops on Saturday, October 19th at 10AM and 1:30PM. 

 

🚲 Whether you have a cargo bike you want to show off or you're looking to test one out & learn from a veteran rider, you'll want to head to the North Brooklyn Cargo Bike Rally on Sunday, October 20 from 11AM to 1PM at McCarren Park. 

 

🌳 Celebrate NYC's urban forests at the 3rd annual City of Forest Day on Saturday, October 26th! Plant trees, go on nature hikes, and join stewardship activities across the five boroughs highlighting our green "lungs."

🗳️ 4 weeks until Election Day on November 5! Remember: October 26 is the deadline for mail/absentee ballot requests and in-person voter registration. Early voting runs October 26-November 3. Locate your poll site and hours now to ensure you're ready to participate.

 

🎃 Aside from DOT's own roster of car-free Trick-or-Streets, there are lots of fun Halloween events happening in the city:

  • Seaport Kids x Halloween Block Party | Saturday, October 26, 3-5PM
  • W 111th Open Street Haunted Fountain at the Cathedral | Saturday, October 26, 3-5PM
  • Halloween Fun in the 161 with 161 BiD and friends! | Saturday, October 26, 12-3PM
  • Berry Spooky Halloween at Berry OS | Sunday, October 27, 10AM (kids costume contest at 1PM)
  • La Salle Open Street Halloween Parade | Thursday, October 31, 4-9PM
  • Trick or Treat at Newkirk Plaza | Thursday, October 31, 4-6:30PM
 
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Open Plans |  377 Broadway, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10013-3907

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