Aaron Naparstek
AARON NAPARSTEK is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparsteks journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. Naparstek is the author of "Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage" (Villard, 2003), a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the endless motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. Prior to launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as an interactive media producer, pioneering some of the Web's first music web sites, online communities, live webcasts and social networking services. Naparstek is currently in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons where he is enjoying a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Naparstek is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition. You can find more of his work here: http://www.naparstek.com.
Recent Posts
Our Improved Calendar and Upcoming Events
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Hardworking technologist Nick Grossman took a break from the big Streetsblog redesign project to upgrade our calendar. Click the red "EVENTS CALENDAR" link at right to see what they’ve done. If you were having trouble with the calendar before, I think you’ll find the layout is much easier to read. We’ve also created an RSS […]
Who Are You Nominating for the 2008 Jane Jacobs Medal?
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The Rockefeller Foundation has opened up the nomination process for the 2008 Jane Jacobs Medal. The deadline to submit a nomination is February 1. The award, launched last year, recognizes "two living individuals whose creative vision for the urban environment has significantly contributed to the vibrancy and variety of New York City." Last year, Transportation […]
Hans Monderman: In Memoriam
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The following obituary was contributed by Ben Hamilton-Baillie, an urban designer based in Bristol, England. Hans Monderman, the pioneering Dutch traffic engineer, died on Monday 7th January near his home close to Drachten in Friesland, aged 63. As one of the most innovative and challenging of thinkers and practitioners in his field, he will […]
Another New Bike Shelter
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Abby King of Transportation Alternatives spotted another one of those fancy new bike shelters that are popping up in select locations throughout the city. This one is next to the Barnes & Noble in Union Square.
Brodsky Taxes Milk! Toll Plazas Will be Named After Marc Shaw!
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With its report released the day before, there wasn’t a lot of news to be found at yesterday’s meeting of the Congestion Mitigation Commission. There was, however, some good political theater and, with the deadline to produce a recommendation approaching, influential commissioners began staking out their positions. The day’s agenda was to discuss the four […]
How About Two Bike Lanes Per Street?
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Now for something completely different: Clarence Eckerson snapped these photos of a double bike lane on both sides of Second Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets. The new street design also includes a rather massive bike box. Has New York City ever had a street with bike lanes running along both sides? This seems to […]
Hans Monderman, Engineer of Livable Streets, 1947-2008
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New Mobility Agenda‘s Eric Britton sends along sad news that Hans Monderman, the Dutch traffic engineer renowned for his innovative "shared space" plans emphasizing human interaction and negotiation over blind obedience to mechanical traffic control devices, died yesterday. He was a rare and radical traffic engineer who believed that the art and science of his […]
What is Your Idea for Grand Army Plaza?
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The Grand Army Plaza Coalition, which recently won a grant from the Design Trust for Public Spaces, has launched an Ideas Competition for its Reinventing Grand Army Plaza project. If you want to participate, answer the following questions in full sentences, and email your responses by the end of the week to survey@reinventingGAP.org. 1. What […]
At P.S. 161 in Harlem the Sidewalk is the Parking Lot
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Streetsblog reader Richard Conroy sends along these photos and writes: Yesterday there was an article about Randi Weingarten saying teachers don’t abuse parking permits. I found that amusing since my daily commute takes me past P.S. 161 in Harlem where there are numerous vehicles parked on the sidewalk every school day. This school is on […]
Nature’s Traffic Count
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Hudson River Greenway near 125th Street. Photographer Lars Klove writes, "I’ve always wondered how many people are riding their bicycles to work. This morning the pavement had a thin layer of moisture that counted the bicycles."
Street Memorial Riders Urge City Hall to Tame Traffic Now
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On Sunday, January 6, over 200 people gathered to remember those killed by motor vehicles while biking and walking the streets of New York City in 2007. StreetFilms was there for the Street Memorial Project’s 3rd Annual Memorial Ride & Pedestrian Walk. So were the parents of 27-year-old Sam Hindy, who was killed trying to […]
Weingarten: “Teachers Are Not Abusers of Parking Permits”
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A car with a teacher’s permit on the dashboard is parked beneath a "No Parking Anytime" sign. The license plate number does not match the one printed on the permit. (UncivilServants.org) United Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten sent a letter to Mayor Bloomberg Friday expressing objections to his plan to reduce the number of […]