Comments on: StreetFilms: Upper West Side Streets Renaissance With Jan Gehl http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:07:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: momos http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39951 momos Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:40:01 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39951 I asked Gehl to compare his experience in NYC to the other cities he’s worked in. He said NYC has a far more active civic culture. He couldn’t believe the number of civic groups and organizations that exist in the city and was impressed by the enlightenment of philanthropists and the New York business community (it’s private donations that are paying for his consulting work to the city). To my surprise, he also said the political leadership of the city is far more forward-looking and progressive than their counterparts in London. London’s progress, in his opinion, is a result of one figure — Ken Livingstone — and the unique catalyzing effect of the 2012 Olympics. All in all, he was very enthusiastic about NYC. He said how welcome he felt, how receptive the city was to his ideas, how impressed he was that the city’s politicians are determined to get the ball rolling before Bloomberg’s tenure is up. His optimism was contagious. I left the event last night feeling charged up. I asked Gehl to compare his experience in NYC to the other cities he’s worked in. He said NYC has a far more active civic culture. He couldn’t believe the number of civic groups and organizations that exist in the city and was impressed by the enlightenment of philanthropists and the New York business community (it’s private donations that are paying for his consulting work to the city).

To my surprise, he also said the political leadership of the city is far more forward-looking and progressive than their counterparts in London. London’s progress, in his opinion, is a result of one figure — Ken Livingstone — and the unique catalyzing effect of the 2012 Olympics.

All in all, he was very enthusiastic about NYC. He said how welcome he felt, how receptive the city was to his ideas, how impressed he was that the city’s politicians are determined to get the ball rolling before Bloomberg’s tenure is up.

His optimism was contagious. I left the event last night feeling charged up.

]]> By: Clarence Eckerson http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39950 Clarence Eckerson Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:38:34 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39950 Ah, gotta love those twinkles! Ah, gotta love those twinkles!

]]> By: momos http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39949 momos Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:36:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39949 Aaron, Many people brought up the issue of cars in Central Park to Gehl after his talk. He said banning cars in parks is an obvious necessity to improve the quality of public spaces. When asked if he'd make the case to the Mayor in their meeting today, he answered with a twinkle in his eye that he wasn't at liberty to say. Aaron,
Many people brought up the issue of cars in Central Park to Gehl after his talk. He said banning cars in parks is an obvious necessity to improve the quality of public spaces. When asked if he'd make the case to the Mayor in their meeting today, he answered with a twinkle in his eye that he wasn't at liberty to say.

]]> By: Aaron http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39948 Aaron Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:27:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39948 Gehl's ideas sound great, but I have a question. If the city can't even bring itself to take the Central Park Loop back from the cars, why do so many people associated with this project seem to think that it is plausible that the city would agree to take back half of Amsterdam Ave, or all of Broadway? Gehl's ideas sound great, but I have a question. If the city can't even bring itself to take the Central Park Loop back from the cars, why do so many people associated with this project seem to think that it is plausible that the city would agree to take back half of Amsterdam Ave, or all of Broadway?

]]> By: Nick Grossman http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39944 Nick Grossman Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:16:08 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39944 Hey Alex -- thanks for the kind words. The folks here at TOPP have been working hard on NYCstreets.org and the software behind it for quite some time. NYCstreets.org is the second instance of our "OpenPlans" software, which you can also check out at http://www.openplans.org. OpenPlans is free, open source software, and we're very interested in getting other communities and organizations using it. Over the next few months we'll be rolling out more features onto nycstreets.org, and tying it more tightly to Streetsblog and StreetFilms. Look for a post here on Streetsblog over the next day or two with more details. Thanks again! Hey Alex -- thanks for the kind words. The folks here at TOPP have been working hard on NYCstreets.org and the software behind it for quite some time.

NYCstreets.org is the second instance of our "OpenPlans" software, which you can also check out at http://www.openplans.org. OpenPlans is free, open source software, and we're very interested in getting other communities and organizations using it.

Over the next few months we'll be rolling out more features onto nycstreets.org, and tying it more tightly to Streetsblog and StreetFilms. Look for a post here on Streetsblog over the next day or two with more details.

Thanks again!

]]> By: Clarence Eckerson http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39943 Clarence Eckerson Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:14:14 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39943 It was a really great event. Nice to see so many advocates and neighborhood leaders wearing smiles these days... ...Aaron, just to clarify it was wine in me - not beers - but yeah quite a few. It was a really great event. Nice to see so many advocates and neighborhood leaders wearing smiles these days...

...Aaron, just to clarify it was wine in me - not beers - but yeah quite a few.

]]> By: Aaron Naparstek http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39941 Aaron Naparstek Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:07:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39941 That's the plan, Alex: Totally open source, Internet-based community-building tools available to anyone for free. That's the plan, Alex: Totally open source, Internet-based community-building tools available to anyone for free.

]]> By: @alex http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39940 @alex Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:04:26 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39940 The new NYCstreets.org website is excellent! Even though I'm not in NYC much these days, I couldn't help but join. Up here in Troy, NY, somebody (I'm not entirely sure who) has started a site (http://ourtroy.com/) that tries to be something like this, but doesn't come anywhere close. Would NYC Streets Renaissance or Open Planning Project be willing to release the code for this to organizations in other communities? Or alternately, host additional instances of the site software? Even if the people behind ourtroy.com aren't interested, I and others would be. The new NYCstreets.org website is excellent! Even though I'm not in NYC much these days, I couldn't help but join. Up here in Troy, NY, somebody (I'm not entirely sure who) has started a site (http://ourtroy.com/) that tries to be something like this, but doesn't come anywhere close.

Would NYC Streets Renaissance or Open Planning Project be willing to release the code for this to organizations in other communities? Or alternately, host additional instances of the site software? Even if the people behind ourtroy.com aren't interested, I and others would be.

]]> By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/comment-page-1/#comment-39910 Angus Grieve-Smith Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:51:32 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/07/streetfilms-upper-west-side-streets-renaissance-with-jan-gehl/#comment-39910 Wow, the Columbus Avenue BID wants bike lanes and Shoupian parking pricing? This is mainstream stuff now. In light of <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/07/19/cb8-shoots-down-upper-east-side-crosstown-bike-route-plan/" rel="nofollow">a discussion across town</a> back in the summer, it's nice to see so many older people with New York accents supporting these ideas. My father lived on the Upper West Side from 1974 until his death in 2002. He never owned a car, and walked and took buses everywhere. I wish he could have lived to see some of these changes. Wow, the Columbus Avenue BID wants bike lanes and Shoupian parking pricing? This is mainstream stuff now.

In light of a discussion across town back in the summer, it's nice to see so many older people with New York accents supporting these ideas.

My father lived on the Upper West Side from 1974 until his death in 2002. He never owned a car, and walked and took buses everywhere. I wish he could have lived to see some of these changes.

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