Rethinking the curb (photo: Open Plans)

In 2011, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority launched a pilot to implement dynamic pricing at a small portion of the city’s on- and off-street parking spots. The pilot used new parking management technology to set the price of each spot according to its value, i.e. how often the spot is occupied.

Until then, San Francisco’s policy was as straightforward as most of New York City’s: 90% of curb space was free, largely unmanaged, parking. (New York

New park investments (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

New York took a big step forward last month when Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams released Making New York Work for Everyone, a plan with 40 commitments meant to steer New York City toward economic growth and livability. The report sets goals and policies for reinvigorating the city’s commercial

Eastern Parkway (photo: NYC Parks)

It’s another record-breaking hot summer in New York, and we can all agree that the climate crisis is already here. Sweltering days, terrifying flash floods, and increasingly poor air quality are putting all New Yorkers at risk,especially those living in historically underinvested communities. ...

Use of public space on Tompkins Ave, BK (photo: Jackson Chabot)

July 29, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Rethinking How Public Space is Allocated in New York City

Jackson Chabot, Director of Public Space Advocacy at nonprofit Open Plans, joined the show to discuss rethinking the use of public space in New York City, including the organization's 'reimagine the curb' plan, the push for an Office of Public Space Management, and more.

Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the

Public space (photo: John McCarten/City Council)

Summer is in full swing and street fairs, parades, and block parties are enlivening public space across New York City. But these vital signs of city life exist alongside indicators of the challenges we are facing: trash blocking sidewalks, lack of staff to keep crucial community spaces activated, and the threat of traffic violence.

The activity on our streets, parks, and stoops helps define what makes New York special. These spaces would not thrive without committed

NYC's 'Open Culture' (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)

Words have the power to change how we see things and how we think. In life we are often fish who don’t know what water is, going through the motions in our default state, unaware of the environment around us. But every now and then we stumble upon a realization that changes our entire view – seeing water for the first time.

Over these past couple turbulent and transformative years, I’ve been among many who have been seeing the world anew, and I’ve been collecting these ideas, these

Pizza Rat (Youtube); Dilapidated NYC Parks Bathroom, NYC Comptroller’s Office

The tens of millions annual tourists who supercharged New York City’s economic growth during the past few decades looked past the low public hygiene standards in their pursuit of skyline views and Broadway shows. Public restrooms? Very few and mostly awful. Overcrowded sidewalks? We got ‘em! Millions of long-suffering visitors and residents have had to tolerate oozing garbage bags on city sidewalks, grimy subway stations, crowded playgrounds, gross bathrooms in city parks, and more. When a pizza-eating rat in