An Open Letter to the City of New York
Written in 2021, in response to living in New York City during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
This working paper, written with Maria Lombera and Matthew Kwatinetz, examines New York City's urban landscape in the wake of COVID-19, introducing the concept of a "Congestrian Crisis" – the increasing congestion of pedestrian spaces due to competing uses by residents, businesses, and tourists. We argue that the pandemic has revealed critical urban planning challenges while simultaneously offering unprecedented opportunities for reimagining public space usage. The paper presents three interconnected recommendations for a more equitable, sustainable, and financially viable urban future: (1) developing an intentional pedestrian circulatory system that connects all five boroughs through green pathways; (2) embracing the "15-minute city" model to ensure equitable access to essential services; and (3) repurposing underutilized street parking to expand public space and generate significant municipal revenue. Through economic analysis, the authors demonstrate how the implementation of these recommendations could potentially generate $14.24 billion in annual revenue, addressing budget deficits while funding critical investments in infrastructure, affordable housing, and public education. This research builds upon historical precedents of NYC's responses to previous public health crises and aligns with global urban planning trends that prioritize pedestrian access, environmental sustainability, and social equity.
The Congestrian Crisis and the Case for an Inclusive Recovery of a post-Pandemic NYC
Executive Summary
While there is no doubt that COVID-19 is the deadliest killer in New York City’s recorded history, the city is no stranger to pandemics and game-changing events that cause leaders and citizens to re-evaluate their urban strategies. There have been a dozen plus such events since the 1890’s in NYC, often numbering deaths in the thousands. Until the 21st century in fact, there was a mortality penalty for those living in the city, who experienced a shorter lifespan than those who lived outside. But conscious efforts by city leaders not only steered to a reversal of that health penalty, but also introduced the concept of cities as a tool for reducing poverty while increasing equity, sustainability and livability. This did not happen overnight, nor by accident, but rather through strategic policy-making which led to such outcomes as the construction of the Croton aqueduct that is still used today for potable NYC water (1842), the creations of the NYC Department of Health and Hygiene (1893) and the American Lung Society (1905), the establishment of the first Zoning Resolution to separate noxious uses from residential uses and create open space (1916), and the approval of Central Park (1853) to allow for healthier air for working families living in the city (the “lungs of the city”).
In response to The Urban Land Institute’s The Future of Streets program in May 2020, and subsequent Lunch and Learns, the NYU Urban Lab dove into exploring some of the topics that ULI first covered back in that initial program. The Future of Streets brought the government and real estate worlds together to ask: is NYC still capable of thinking this big? The NYU Urban Lab took their answer, which was yes, and stitched together three large scale calls to action, listed below, focused around equity, inclusivity, connectivity and near self-sufficient financing.
Cultivating a Pedestrian Circulatory System: It is time for city leaders to create an intentional pedestrian circulatory system of pathways to support healthy and equitable lifestyles and non-automobile transportation.
Embracing & Implementing the 15 Minute City: There is no better moment for New York City leadership to fully embrace and lean into the global movement of 15 minute cities and invest in a more equitable access to the urban basket of goods.
Addressing the Congestrian Crisis: While New York City has traditionally been a positive example of the benefits of density over sprawl, we are increasingly running out of space for pedestrians due to the congestion of those spaces --- what we call the Congestrian Crisis. The city, to address this problem, should re-purpose curb and parking lanes, providing expanded amenity space to all of the city’s residents.
It is through implementing these decisive and intentional plans of action, which each focus on connectivity, inclusivity, feasible financing, and simultaneously integrating with each other, that we will continue to evolve one of the greatest cities in the world into a more healthy, equitable, sustainable, and financially sound urban powerhouse.