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Yesterday you may have received a confusing welcome email. Sorry about that! It was sent by mistake AND was rather outdated. You can see a much more current look at our campaigns here. 

Illustration of a reimagined PS134 Hollis in Queens by artist and illustrator, Blake LaRue

Dear [first-name],

As the last day of NYC public school approaches, I’m celebrating the 30+ schools (& youth organizations) that we’ve helped apply for open streets & similar programs across the city.

This May, we awarded IS 528 “Most Inspiring School Street” at the Public Space Awards but they're not the only ones doing great stuff—here are a few other honorary awards that I’d love to present:

• “Mayor of College Point” goes to Nicole, a PE teacher at PS 129 in College Point, Queens, who works tirelessly to run the open street every day, collaborating with partners, families, & agencies. Next week we’re hosting a block party there to celebrate, with community partners including the Billion Oyster Project & New York Road Runners!
• “Most Loyal School Street” goes to PS 134Q in Hollis, Queens, who is celebrating a full year of using their street for gym & recess. We’re hosting a block party with them this Friday to celebrate, with Council Member Williams’ Office, Chhaya CDC, India House, the Queens Public Library, & others.
• The “Glow-Up Award” goes to City-As-School & M721 in Lower Manhattan; thanks to the Project for Public Spaces, we received a $100,000 grant for a street improvement project to transform the open street.
• “Let There Be Light Award” goes to IS/PS 116 in Jamaica, Queens, whose new school street is extra beautiful thanks to daylighting at the corners painted with gorgeous murals!
• “All Star Organizer” goes to Miss Norma at Soundview CORE Enrichment Center, who, within one weekend, secured letters of recommendation from every branch & level of government for her open street application.

Community space like this is a labor of love & we're here to celebrate that! Know a school community who could use this kind of thing? Get in touch with me at sabina@openplans.org to find out how we can help you get joyful, car-free space outside your school!

See you out there,

Sabina

As biking grows in NYC, so does NYPD's war on bikes. Carl Mahaney, our StreetopiaUWS Director, went on the Bike Talk podcast to talk about what this criminalization means, how its connected to deportation, delivery apps, and car-centric culture & infrastructure.

Tell Mayor Adams & City Council that a 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes won't work; instead, we need effective, data-driven policies that protect everyone, & hold accountable the corporations fueling chaos on our streets—not the cyclists surviving it.

🏳️‍🌈 NYC's Pride season is here with celebrations spanning from June through July across all five boroughs! From intimate theater festivals to massive street parades, the city's streets and public spaces become stages for LGBTQ+ community, rights, and culture. Whether you're looking for grassroots activism, family-friendly festivals, or legendary parties, Pride shows how our streets can transform into inclusive gathering spaces for hundreds of thousands celebrating visibility, joy, and the power of public life.

• Queerly Festival - June 13-July 3: 11th anniversary queer artist ensemble featuring theater, dance, music, and film at Under St. Marks Theater (94 St. Marks Pl., East Village)
• Brooklyn Pride - June 13-21: Multiple events including Cyclones Pride night (6/13), main celebration with 5K, festival, and twilight parade (6/14), and Youth Pride (6/21) across Brooklyn locations
• Harlem Pride - June 28: 16th annual celebration expecting 20,000+ participants with food vendors and community events at Twelfth Avenue and 133rd Street
• NYC Pride March - June 29: The city's biggest civil rights demonstration from 25th/Fifth Avenue to 16th/Seventh Avenue, featuring grand marshals Karine Jean-Pierre, Marti Gould Cummings, and Lina Bradford
• PrideFest Street Fair - June 29: Village sidewalks filled with exhibitors, vendors, entertainment, and StageFest performances in Greenwich Village
• Queer Liberation March - June 29: Grassroots community gathering by Reclaim Pride Coalition starting at NYC AIDS Memorial Park (Seventh Avenue and West 12th Street)
• Bronx Pride Festival and Health Fair - July 19: Annual celebration with big crowds at Crotona Park Amphitheater (559 Claremont Pkwy., Charlotte Gardens)

♿ Close the gaps in New York's Complete Streets Law! While the current law requires considering all road users in some projects, too many state and federally funded transportation improvements still ignore pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities. Bills S.131/A.324 and S.915/A.1077 in Albany would strengthen protections and ensure complete streets statewide. Tell your lawmakers that every New Yorker deserves safe, accessible transportation options!

⚡ Power up with Open New York's happy hour Wednesday, June 11 @ 6:30-9PM at Cobble Fish on Pier 16! Join the coalition that's been winning housing fights from Windsor Terrace to Albany. Enjoy waterfront views, good company, and conversations about building the affordable city we need. Summer organizing season starts here!

🔥 Kick off summer at Bronx Community Board 2's barbecue on Friday, June 13 @ 3PM at St. Athanasius Plaza (871 Tiffany St)! Enjoy free food, drinks, bouncy houses, and ice cream while learning about exciting upcoming events like the 40th Annual Bronx Halloween Parade. Perfect family fun to celebrate the start of event season in the borough.

✊ Experience three decades of Juneteenth tradition in Harlem Saturday, June 14 with parade at 11AM and street fair 11AM-6PM on 116th Street! This celebration of the oldest known emancipation commemoration connects 1865 Texas history to today's national movement. Join the Masjid Malcolm Shabazz community for this powerful cultural gathering.

🥟 Three cultures, one incredible street party! Join the Museum at Eldridge Street's Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, & Empanadas Street Festival on Sunday, June 15, 12-4PM celebrating Puerto Rican, Chinese, and Jewish traditions. Experience live bomba drumming, lion dances, klezmer music, and more while exploring the diverse heritage that makes the Lower East Side special. Free admission on Eldridge Street between Canal & Division.

🥁 Join a deeply moving Juneteenth observance in the Bronx Thursday, June 19 @ 5-7:30PM hosted by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance! Start with dinner from Voila Afrique (5PM), then join the ceremony at 6PM featuring performances and spoken word. The evening concludes with a powerful drum procession to the Enslaved African Burial Ground for a libation ceremony honoring ancestors.

🚲 Get your wheels spinning at Bike Bonanza NYC Saturday, June 21 @ 11AM-3PM at St. John's Rec Center! This free Bergen Bike Bus event features activities for all ages, including Learn to Ride classes with Bike New York (12-2PM). Begin with the family-friendly Kidical Mass ride from Grand Army Plaza at 10:45AM - registration required for classes but open fun for everyone.

Beloved neighborhood restaurants are forced to close their streeteries under restrictive seasonal rules. We're pushing for an equitable, year-round program that works for small businesses citywide—not just wealthy areas. Your donation gets MATCHED dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000! Back this street revolution and show City Hall that public space belongs to everyone.

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

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