The return of Open Streets is an event I now look forward to every Spring, since the program’s expansion in April 2020 due to the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic. A New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) program, Open Streets “transforms streets into public space open to all,” creating all pedestrian access to select thoroughfares in all five boroughs by barring cars from driving in or out. Open Streets effectively enhances the connectivity of NYC neighborhoods, simultaneously supporting small organizations, local businesses, and schools in reaching their direct communities while facilitating large, central, public gathering areas for residents to enjoy for free.
However, most Open Streets locations are in the same place — inland. There are very few blocked-off avenues that run to the water, no matter which borough, a testament to New York City’s history of neglect and disuse of its waterfront.
The Climate Informed Communities (CIC) program at Waterfront Alliance aims to raise awareness of emergency preparedness resources for climate hazards, integrating climate change education into disaster preparation and planning. This includes advocating for increased attention to the impacts of climate change on natural disasters and extreme weather to make sure communities across the New York City are receiving the most accurate information on how to protect themselves in the case of an emergency, and developing new resources to fill existing gaps in this area, as well.
CIC’s hope is for every resident of New York City to know how climate change is affecting weather patterns in the region, which climate hazards they are most likely to encounter, and what steps they can take to prepare, prioritizing our most vulnerable community members, whether due to demographic or geographical reasons. New and innovative ways to engage community members help to expand this effort. New York City’s Department of Transportation’s Open Streets Program is a unique way to provide community organizers and community leaders with an opportunity to connect with other New Yorkers without pressure, simply as they wander down the street on a sunny day with no cars.
While not everyone will want to discuss emergency preparedness to climate hazards, it’s critical for community leaders and organizers to learn about issues facing a neighborhood or community — climate change related or not — without forcing residents to come out to an evening town hall, join a Zoom call, or open the door to a stranger.
Were we to expand waterfront access to every coastal neighborhood in the city — another key aspect of the Waterfront Alliance’s work — the Open Streets Program could bring in residents from busy, inland commercial zones, providing safe, clear paths for children and families to explore our coastline while continuing to connect residents with resources, services, and information. Through providing access to the waterfront, this program could also allow for cooler places to engage in community programming, as well as raise further awareness about the importance of our waterways, the impacts that the climate crisis can have on coastal communities, and how to prepare.
In densely populated urban centers, public spaces are critical. They build social cohesion, connection to nature, opportunities for recreational activities, and so much more. Neighborhoods with fewer public spaces and increased social isolation are also the most vulnerable to climate hazards such as flooding and extreme heat, and thus the areas where Waterfront Alliance’s work with CIC is the most crucial. As such, this work is intrinsically tied to waterfront access, as each new community amenity relieves pressure from the individual to participate in every workshop, teach-in, and training session available to them. The Open Streets Program reminds us of the importance of prioritizing public spaces: the program brings the streets back to the residents — it’s time to connect the waterfront back to the community as well.
