THINK OF A CITY AND WHAT COMES TO MIND?
“Streets and their sidewalks, the main public places of a city, are its most vital organs. Think of a city and what comes to mind? Its streets. If a city’s streets look interesting, the city looks interesting; if they look dull, the city looks dull.” — Jane Jacobs, The Death & Life of Great American Cities
There’s a revolution going on in how we use our streets, but the evolution of the revolution is slow. Complete Streets, Slow Streets, Open Streets—what would Jane say?
Join CNU NYC and John Massengale for a virtual tour of Jane’s Greenwich Village, a history of New City streets, and a discussion of Streets for People and Slow New York.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 4 (Jane’s Birthday), 3 PM (Happy Hour to Follow — BYOB)
REGISTER: MAS Janes Walks
The photo above shows CNU NYC’s 2020 Jane’s Walk on Charles Street in Greenwich Village. Below is Jane Jacobs at the White Horse Tavern. Jane’s house at 555 Hudson Street was on the same block.
WE BUILT THIS CITY TO WALK AND STROLL
“What if we treated historic districts historically, making the cars accommodate the city, rather than the other way around?
JOHN MASSENGALE NEW HAVEN PRESERVATION KEYNOTE SEPTEMBER 17
John Massengale AIA CNU speaking in New Haven:
New Haven Preservation Trust Annual Meeting
Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 5:30 – 8 PM
The Quinnipiack Club
221 Church Street
New Haven, CT 06510
NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED: “THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO GET AROUND TOWN
New York City Streets for People After the Congestion Zone
Jane Jacobs Square, New York, New York. © Massengale & Co LLC, watercolor by Gabrielle Stroik Johnson. Before & After: Looking south on Bleecker Street from the intersection of Bleecker and West 10th Streets
The debate continues over how to make New York City’s streets less crowded, safer and better for people as well as cars. Some, like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, call for congestion pricing in Manhattan, although so far the New York State Legislature has not allowed that. Mayor Bill de Blasio and groups such as Transportation Alternatives promote Vision Zero, aiming for zero traffic deaths in New York City by 2024.
It’s worth looking at European cities, which have led the movement to make city streets that are as good for public life as they are for driving. In recent months, I’ve visited four of the cities with the most innovative street designs: London, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
