Concrete Jungle

Concrete Jungle

A space for NYC news & discussion – with a focus on transit & housing

Mark Fishman pfp

This is my intention for /concretejungle – a public space to learn about NYC and the changing nature of our shared spaces Added @miawintam and @boop as initial members as they also live in New York and have been active posters in /urbanism However the channel is open for anyone to post in!

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andrew pfp

Somebody posted this and I'm kind of obsessed with the different colors? The NRQ stoplight and the Netherlands 123 👌

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Mark Fishman pfp

City Council passed a series of bills last week reforming the use of sidewalk sheds (aka "scaffolding") that cover roughly 400 miles(!) of NYC streets The average shed has been up for more than 500 days, even though permits for facade renovations only last for one year. These bills would shorten the permit length to three months and introduce fines for property owners that don't complete the necessary construction in time. Learn more: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/tell-me-about-the-new-bills-pa-WnEwu.jzS3.RxlCwklRJ7Q?0=r

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erik pfp

new G line trains just dropped https://gothamist.com/news/open-gangway-subway-trains-debut-on-brooklyns-g-line-its-refreshing

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andrew pfp

Casting from Newark train station having just missed a train and next one is in 30m (also why is the airtrain so bad)

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erik pfp

https://youtu.be/Ax_oY22QCks

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Mark Fishman pfp

New York City has been in a legally declared rental housing emergency for over 50 years(!) Daniel Golliher – who has a great Substack on housing policy in NYC –made betting markets if/when the city will still be in a legally declared emergency. https://www.maximumnewyork.com/p/bet-on-housing-crisis

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Mark Fishman pfp

‼️ Make sure you are registered as a Democrat* by February 14th to be able to vote in the NYC mayoral primary in June! (*I don't care what political party you personally identify with, but let's be honest: the real election for NYC mayor is the Democratic primary.) NYC has closed primaries, which means you need to be a registered Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary (same for Republicans). If you are part of the ~20% of independent voters in NYC, make sure your voice is heard. More details + how to check/switch your registration: https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/01/29/switch-party-voter-primary-deadline-registration/

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Mark Fishman pfp

Ever wonder why NYC doesn't have more public bathrooms? This review explains why it's a microcosm of many of the problems our city faces https://nycpolitics101.substack.com/p/why-nyc-public-toilets-cost-so-much

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Mark Fishman pfp

There has been a bill introduced to City Council that would require daylighting at all intersections in NYC. (This is already law at the state level but the city is exempt.) Daylighting is the practice of removing parking closest to an intersection, which improves visibility for pedestrians and drivers. It's a relatively easy method to reduce traffic violence – more than half of crashes that result in death or serious injury happen near an intersection! Daylighting is also an opportunity to add more amenities like benches, bike racks, and greenery to our streets :) https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2024/12/06/daylight-again-council-seeks-universal-parking-ban-at-intersections

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erik pfp

https://gothamist.com/news/in-first-days-of-congestion-pricing-new-yorkers-see-signs-of-reduced-gridlock

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Mark Fishman pfp

Opening up /concretejungle for anyone to post about shared space in NYC However I will apply a heavy moderating hand and likely switch back to a more curated membership model at some point :)

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Mark Fishman pfp

It will take a while to get concrete (ha) data on the effects of NYC's new congestion pricing, but you can check this handy site over the coming days/weeks/months: www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com Small sample sizes so far (+ other factors like snow), but commute times seem to be decreasing!

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andrew pfp

Happy congestion day to all who celebrate!! 🙌

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Mark Fishman pfp

Yesterday I spent some time in Gowanus and was shocked how much new construction was happening. It turns out in 2021 there was a big rezoning of the area around the Gowanus Canal (one of the most polluted waterways in the country, and a federal Superfund site as of 2010). In the past couple years, permits were issued for buildings that include nearly 8,000 apartment units, and construction is now booming. Here's a review I enjoyed from earlier this year: https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/gowanus-canal-development/

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