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
Rally at City Hall for Pedestrian Safety Legislation, 12:45 Today
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The New York City Council’s Transportation and Technology in Government committees are conducting a joint hearing this afternoon on Council Member Vincent Gentile’s accident reporting and review bill, Introduction 567 of 2007. The legislation would require long-sought changes in the way that the NYPD and DOT report and investigate pedestrian injuries and fatalities: The New […]
StreetFilms: Upper West Side Streets Renaissance With Jan Gehl
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A standing room-only crowd turned out for last night’s Upper West Side Streets Renaissance event with Danish urban designer Jan Gehl and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. All in all, it was an inspiring night and we’ll have a more detailed write-up later today. Though Gehl wasn’t allowed to get too specific about the work he […]
Staten Islanders Keeping an Open Mind on Congestion Pricing
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"Walking is Transportation" blogger Dan Icolari has extensive coverage of last night’s seventh and final Traffic Mitigation Commission hearing on Staten Island. He reports "a notable unanimity" among Staten Island’s elected representatives. "Even South Shore Republican Councilman Vincent Ignizio — a reliable foe of government whose salary is paid by government — said that despite […]
The Trafficist
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"It seemed to me that what was significantly undermining the ordinary daily happiness and health and economic life of both me and my fellow New Yorkers was the private car." –– Randy Cohen, "The Ethicist" Who knew? It turns out that one of New York City’s most captivating and articulate voices for Livable Streets is […]
Upper West Side Renaissance on WNYC
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This morning’s Brian Lehrer interview with Open Planning Project Director Mark Gorton, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and, ummm… 30 Rock’s Alec Baldwin, is now online. If you missed it, listen here:
Envisioning an Upper West Side Streets Renaissance
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If you’re thinking about coming to tonight’s Upper West Side workshop with Jan Gehl but you are having trouble picturing what a "Streets Renaissance" might look like, the video above was made for you. It consists of a series of photo simulations produced by New York City Streets Renaissance Creative Director Carly Clark. Whipped into […]
Tune in to Brian Lehrer at 10:40am, WNYC, 93.9 FM
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Open Planning Project Executive Director Mark Gorton and Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan will be talking about this evening’s Upper West Side Streets Renaissance workshop with Jan Gehl on the Brian Lehrer Show, 93.9 FM, at 10:40am.
Gridlock Sam’s Compromise Plan
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As if we didn’t already know it, last week’s Traffic Mitigation Commission hearings revealed that opposition to Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan among outer borough and suburban legislators may very well be intractable. Even in traffic-crushed districts where one would almost certainly find a majority in favor of some form of congestion pricing, we didn’t […]
Gehl on Wheels
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The Jan Gehl product roll-out continues apace. Last week, WNYC. This week, New York Magazine. Word has it Gehl’s team will be presenting Department of Transportation brass with some pretty big ideas for street space re-allocation. In the meantime, enjoy another interview with everyone’s favorite Danish urban designer: Can New York really be tamed? I […]
“A Perverse Allocation of Public Space on the Upper West Side”
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As we lead up to next Tuesday’s big Upper West Side Streets Renaissance workshop with Jan Gehl (have you submitted your RSVP yet?) here is another StreetFilm delving in to the kinds of issues we hope to be talking about. In this segment, Upper West Siders Mark Gorton and Lisa Sladkus briefly examine just how […]
Profiles in Discouragement: Pols Defend Traffic Status Quo
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Council member Lew Fidler delivers his Tax & Tunnel plan to the Commission. Spencer Wilking reports: The city’s traveling road show of community advocates, local politicians and concerned residents, otherwise known as New York City’s Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission, stopped in Brooklyn Thursday night as part of its whirlwind seven county tour. At the hearing […]
The Intermediate Stage Between Humans and Pure Energy
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I’m pretty sure that these people are making fun of me but I laugh every time I watch it.