This week in the roundup: gubernatorial criticism of the Port Authority, interstate infographics, an architectural Valentine, service design for government, an exhibit about planning, HWKN’s design for Warm-Up 2012, and as suggested stuff to do: …
DIVIDED OVER DISTRICT LINES
Several Asian-American groups in Queens have criticized the fact that the existing State Senate and Assembly districts split a cohesive Asian-American community along the border of Queens and Nassau counties. According to the Brennan Center for …
First up, a reminder: The deadline for The Unfinished Grid essay competition, our call for writing on the Manhattan street grid as paradigm, rubric or muse for urban life, is just around the corner! Submit by 5pm on …
This week in the Omnibus Roundup: Bloomberg’s plans for Wi-Fi and waste-to-energy; MyBlockNYC and Undercity team up; the DOT wants to help you find a parking spot; meanwhile, Congress incentivizes driving to work over taking public transportation; a …
STATE OF THE CITY
In his second to last State of the City address, Mayor Michael Bloomberg touched on a wide range of issues, some expected — such as his commitment to merit-based pay for teachers in the public school …
HOLIDAY HIATUS
The holidays are upon us. And while we busy ourselves this week with buying urban-themed gifts for loved ones, we are also planning to take a little extra time in the first days of the new year to do some Omnibus brainstorming, housecleaning, and party-planning. So we will be back in full force on January 9th, just in time to celebrate our third birthday, preview an exciting new line-up of features, forum posts and special projects for 2012, and invite you officially to our second annual benefit party, which will take place on February 28th. Mark your calendars! And don’t forget your pens, pencils or…
PLACEMAKING THROUGH LIGHTING
The City’s plan to make Lower Manhattan more vibrant after dark goes beyond simply installing more lights. The title of the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Request for Proposals, “Placemaking through Lighting,” explains the initiative’s priorities: to use creative illumination to enhance Lower Manhattan’s identity, to attract visitors and investment and to create a sense of place for the area…
DARKER CITIES, BRIGHTER STARS
The drive to limit light pollution has taken on increased prominence lately, with specialists across fields stressing its importance. The Atlantic Cities’ Nate Berg last week highlighted this growing movement and how one small town, Homer Glenn, barely 30 miles outside of …
HAIKU TRAFFIC SAFETY
With ubiquity comes invisibility. And words can be arranged with the same economy and elegance as high quality graphic design. These two precepts are the inspiration behind the DOT’s latest spate of traffic signs. By combining a little bit of poetry with…
FLOODED SUBWAYS
When Hurricane Irene was headed towards New York City, the MTA made the bold choice to shut down the entire subway system, anticipating widespread flooding of the tunnels which could cause significant damage to transit infrastructure. Though our subways escaped harm this time, the flood threat looks to be a harbinger of a future norm — unless we make some changes now. Last week, Columbia, CUNY and Cornell released Responding to Climate Change in New York State, a report commissioned by the…
