Could Public Space Stewards Help Make New York City More Livable?

By Mark Chiusano

For obvious reasons I was recently revisiting a small controversy over the usage of public space in a certain midtown Manhattan building: Trump Tower.

In 2016, Donald Trump and New York City went back and forth over whether the building had to keep some public benches in the lobby. During construction decades earlier, the tower had been allowed to rise higher in exchange for a little bit of public space (some of <Read More>



Study Finds 2022 Fifth Avenue Holiday Open Streets an Economic Success

On October 10, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the ‘Open Streets’ holiday initiative along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan last holiday season was an economic success. During the initiative, the Department of Transportation and the Fifth Avenue Association created pedestrianized stretches of Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, West 49th Street, and West 50th Street between 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm on select Sundays in December.


DOT Announces Return and Expansion of “Trick or Streets” for Halloween 2023

Image Credit: DOT

On October 11, 2023, the Department of Transportation announced the return of “Trick or Streets,” the Halloween-season expansion of the Open Streets program. Last year, “Trick or Streets” restricted car access on nearly 100 streets on Halloween night to provide more open space for pedestrian access when many families would be out for trick or treating. 



BID’s liability goes to trial

Pedestrian injured in slip and fall on City-owned land under maintenance of the Business Improvement District. The City of New York owns a plaza located near 54-55 Myrtle Avenue in Queens. The plaza is a small park-like area and contains a winding sidewalk lined with trees and other landscape. The City contracted with the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District to maintain the plaza, including the maintenance of its sidewalk.