It’s 95° in the shade. Assuming you can even find some. This week’s heat wave is a reminder of something we all feel but rarely name: cities are hot, and New York is hotter than it needs to be. The asphalt radiates, sidewalks bake, and the air is
Let’s talk about free parking. Because, of course, it’s not actually free—it’s some of the most expensive land in the country, handed over for long-term car storage at zero cost. In New York City, a single on-street parking space is roughly 8 feet wide and 18
You've already noticed the enormous delivery trucks on New York's streets—they're too big to miss. 🙃 Deliveries and cargo are essential to modern life. Whether it's construction material, store inventory, restaurant supplies or a package you ordered online, it reaches its destination
Yesterday, Mayor Adams announced a 15 mph speed cap for e-bikes—the latest in a string of moves to calm bike traffic and ease tensions between cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians. The instinct is right: our streets should feel safe and navigable for everyone. But a blanket speed cap won’t
Last summer, I spent a day in Kaunas, Lithuania, with my older son. Kaunas is a city full of charm—Lithuania’s former capital, known for its striking interwar modernist architecture, lively pedestrian boulevards, and a creative spirit that earned it the title of European Capital of Culture in 2022.
One of my favorite things about New York is its awesome scale. Small changes can make a huge difference. Imagine if we shaved a minute off the morning commute for 2-3 million New Yorkers, and another minute on the way home. Those five million minutes are roughly equal to 40
My 12-year-old son and I ride the bus and subway almost every day. On the bus, it’s rare to see anyone tap their fare. Are we chumps for paying? The subway has improved recently, with security guards now stationed by many turnstiles. But we still often see people jumping
Earlier this spring, I spent a few weeks in Paris. One morning, I was biking right behind a mom who was taking her kids to school: This is a totally ordinary scene. On weekday mornings, Paris's bike lanes fill with commuters and parents taking their kids to school.
Let’s talk about energy. Consider the human body: If you eat 2,000 calories per day, you’re burning about the same amount of energy as a 100-watt light bulb. You’ll burn around 250 watts on days you run a marathon. The average home in New York City
As brutal as the early days of the pandemic were, they also forced New York to try things it normally wouldn't. New York moved at light speed to launch its "Open Restaurants" program in June 2020, less than 60 days after the alpha wave ended. Everything
Last week I visited Troyes, France—a small city about two hours from Paris in the Champagne region. It’s known for its medieval town center and the world’s largest collection of European hand tools. When others look to the stars for inspiration, I often look down at the
Earlier this month, I spent a few days in Tangier, Morocco for my birthday. Tangier is less than ten miles from the Spanish mainland by ferry and was a designated "international zone" from 1923 to 1956, attracting diplomats, spies, artists, writers and exiles. French and Spanish colonial influence
In July 2021, a flight scheduling mix-up gave me an unexpected evening in Paris. It was just a few weeks after the EU had re-opened to Americans. I hadn’t been to Paris in several years, and I was shocked at how its streetscape had transformed: bike lanes and pedestrian