Upper West Side Streets Renaissance

On Saturday, January 12th, more than two dozen people from around the city came out to Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus and showed their dedication to the cause of Livable Streets by learning how to make decisions usually reserved for planning professionals at Livable Streets 101: Intro to Designing Streets for Neighborhood Life.

Led by Mike King of Nelson/Nygaard, urban planners and designers with experience working in cities around the globe gave informational presentations before leading collaborative walking/working tours of the neighborhood. Workshop participants evaluated the pros and cons of the status quo at area intersections, streets, and public spaces. Upon returning to Fordham, each “team” then developed a comprehensive plan for the neighborhood, taking into account the various groups that collectively use the space.

By the time that everyone was done presenting their designs, the energy in the room was palpable. Many people were left wondering why, if they could find functional solutions in the span of an afternoon, there were so many poorly designed spaces in their neighborhoods. All in all, the day was both a heartening display of ingenuity and a ringing challenge to New Yorkers to bring the spaces they deserve to the streets where they live.

On Saturday, November the 10th, an enthusiastic group of cyclists met up at 72nd and Central Park West for a fortifying dose of bagels and history before setting out on a relaxing bike tour of the Upper West Side.

As the riders pedaled sedately through the neighborhood’s scenic landscape, they passed many historic and contemporary points of interest; the ride paused at three of them for brief but edifying talks by Upper West Side advocates. Many questions were asked and answered, friends were made, and fingers were chilled nearly (but not quite) to the bone.

Though this ride is over and done, we’re looking forward to hosting several more in the spring, so keep your eyes peeled for updates!

For those of you who missed it, last night’s event with Jan Gehl was a great kick-off to the Upper West Side Streets Renaissance campaign. The JCC on the Upper West Side hosted a full house to hear Gehl talk about what could be for NYC’s streets, and he outlined a vision for turning Manhattan into one of the world’s most bike- and pedestrian-friendly cities. DOT commissioner Jeanette Sadik-Khan was on hand to introduce Gehl, and City Council member Gail Brewer was there as well.

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The event made the front page of this morning’s metro, and StreetFilms has already put out a short video from the event. For more detailed coverage, check out this morning’s post on StreetsBlog.

Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this event happen — it was great to see such a large, enthusiastic crown interested in improving NYC’s public spaces.