Friday, October 27, 2006

How will we fix New York City?



A new film takes on this important and difficult question, and comes up with some very clear answers from around the world.

"Contested Streets"

view trailer
learn more about this film

Personal note: I was a tourist in NYC on 9/11. All the tourists staying there in hotels were stuck for the week in a city that had basically shut down. No airport. No trains. No private autos were allowed into Manhattan. Only emergency vehicles were allowed.

On 9/12 I had the surreal experience of riding a bike down 5th Avenue which was completely empty. It was a sad and strange place to be. But I will never forget how lovely New York City seemed without all those cars chasing people out of the streets. People came out to sit in the streets and talked to their neighbors, many for the first time. People needed calm to digest what had happened. The elimination of cars and honking and pollution for a few days provided public space for the healing to begin.

- b

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was the best decision Guliani ever made.

Thanks for reminding me.

Mom said...

Thanks for that, Brian. I read your personal note with great interest.