Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Downtown Brooklyn

Markowitz: Loosen Downtown BK Parking Regs for Older Buildings Too

By Stephen Miller | Aug 16, 2012 | 7 Comments

Borough President Marty Markowitz wants to reduce parking minimums in Downtown Brooklyn, and he thinks developers should be able to convert existing parking spots to other uses. This spring the Department of City Planning unveiled a plan to cut Downtown Brooklyn’s onerous parking requirements in half, and Markowitz’s recommendations [PDF] are the latest step on […]

Developers, CB 2: Let’s Repurpose Downtown Brooklyn’s Empty Parking

By Noah Kazis | Jun 21, 2012 | 17 Comments

Parking reform in Downtown Brooklyn doesn’t go far enough, said developers at a public hearing last night, and the land use committee of Brooklyn Community Board 2 agreed. They want reduced parking requirements to apply not only to new buildings, as proposed by the Department of City Planning, but also to existing buildings and developments […]

If DCP Won’t Scrap Downtown BK Minimums, Is Broader Parking Reform Dead?

By Noah Kazis | Jun 5, 2012 | 12 Comments

The proposed reduction of parking minimums in Downtown Brooklyn, though seriously insufficient, is good news for housing affordability and environmental sustainability in New York City. But it’s terrible news for those hoping to see broader reforms of New York City’s parking requirements. If the Department of City Planning felt so politically constrained that it could […]

DCP Proposal Will Cut Downtown Brooklyn Parking Minimums in Half

By Noah Kazis | Jun 4, 2012 | 6 Comments

Downtown Brooklyn’s mandatory parking minimums would be cut in half for new development and eliminated outright for affordable housing under a plan from the Department of City Planning. The change is significant — the first rollback of the costly and car-ownership inducing requirements under the Bloomberg administration — but doesn’t go far enough. Even by DCP’s own […]

Willoughby Plaza, Already a Hit, Gets a Capital Upgrade

By Noah Kazis | Apr 18, 2012 | 4 Comments

Downtown Brooklyn’s Willoughby Street plaza, located just off Adams Street, was the forerunner of New York City’s current efforts to reclaim roadways as pedestrian spaces. Built in 2006, before Janette Sadik-Khan took over the city Department of Transportation, the city used now-familiar ingredients — concrete planters and folding chairs — to close the block to […]

On Jay Street, Police Break Traffic Laws More Than They Enforce Them

By Noah Kazis | Nov 29, 2011 | 24 Comments

Walk out on any New York City street and you’re likely to find rampant disregard for traffic laws. Pinpointing exactly who’s speeding requires special equipment, but for many offenses, you can track the level of lawlessness with the naked eye. A team of Transportation Alternatives volunteers did just that over the course of October on […]

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