Streetopia is Transportation Alternatives’ vision for New York City, freed from cars. Let's give our streets back to the people.
On June 22nd, 2017, Transportation Alternatives launched Streetopia — the single largest effort ever attempted to free New York City from the automobile.
Even though most New Yorker do not own a car, 80% of the open space in New York City is filled by parked cars and congested traffic — an unfair use of space in a city where space is a precious commodity. New Yorkers suffer asthma because of vehicle exhaust, obesity because active outdoor life is inaccessible, and the real danger of crossing streets full of impatient and reckless drivers.
In recent years, the City of New York has reclaimed some under-used roads with car-free public plazas and protected bike lanes, causing a surge in cycling, which is now growing faster than transit ridership. Yet these efforts have reclaimed only 1% of all street space since 2007. Streetopia is a campaign to promote the remarkable potential for transforming much more of New York City’s open space. Imagine the growth in health and happiness if all 6,000 miles of city streets were reclaimed for public use.
Because Streetopia is a shift in the dominant paradigm, it will require a massive civic effort by the citizens of New York, and widespread demand to have a voice in how streets are used. The Streetopia campaign will empower individuals and neighborhoods to change the form and function of their streets. Learn how you can get involved today: ACT NOW.
The Streetopia campaign launched with a three-floor takeover of the Museum of the City of New York for a one-day-only exhibit on the future of car-free cities. Streetopia: The Exhibit was developed by a braintrust of activists, engineers, rabble rousers, and dreamers, including:
Car2Go
CHEKPEDS
CityLab
Department of Transformation
Whitney W. Donhauser, President of Museum of the City of New York
Gehl Institute
Mark Gorton, Publisher of Streetsblog and Streetfilms
Ronay Menschel, Director of Museum of the City of New York
Natural Resources Defense Council
New York League of Conservation Voters
NYC Council
NYU Rudin Center for Transportation
OpenPlans
Alex Ostroy, Creative Director of LeMond Bicycles
PAU Studio
Peatónito, Mexico City’s Pedestrian Super Hero
Project for Public Spaces
Regional Plan Association
Riders Alliance
Janette Sadik-Khan, Former Commissioner of NYC Department of Transportation
Caroline Samponaro, Deputy Director of Transportation Alternatives
SLO Architecture
Street Plans Collective
Streetfilms
Streetmix
The Design Team of Cricket Day, Rebecca Groban, Christopher Robbins, and Kellen Parker The Partnership for New York City
TransitCenter
Upcycles
James Wagman, Architect
Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives
WXY architecture + urban design