Climate Crisis: 25x25 Is A Vision Of A New York City For People, Not Cars

A plan from Transportation Alternatives, backed by Mayor Eric Adams, would see New York reclaim 25% of its street space from the car to create pedestrian zones, parks and walkable spaces by 2025.

It's an ambitious plan which relies on the fact that a vast majority of New Yorkers commute via public transport or bike; and the majority of cars in the city are owned by people who live outside of New York. The huge number of on-street parking spaces - three million - and 19,000 miles of road space, added together account for 75% of all public space in the city.

Together with the plan to change street space to people space the proposal would make it safer and easier for residents to access public transport and bike lanes; increase the number of bus lanes to ease the effects of congestion and convert free parking spaces into electric taxi or freight spaces instead.

An example of how the plan will be implemented is the plan for the areas outside of the city's subway stations. The proposal converts 100 car parking spaces at each into social green spaces, bike racking, e-bike charging and vendor spaces. For integrated transport purposes, each would receive new bus shelters and pavements would be widened to add a sense of space. The plan also calls for the planting of 15,000 trees which would capture CO2 and create shade, helping with the city's current problem of baking neighbourhoods as a result of all of the heat absorbing tarmac on city streets.

Of the city's remaining free own-street parking, the proposal suggests that converting 25% to paid meters would raise $1bn a year for the city public purse. Added to this, the city is expected to finally deliver its Congestion Charging solution for Manhattan, which will be its very nature raise further income for the city.

Like many cities, New York took the chance to close roads during the pandemic and once lockdowns started to ease used this space to help with physical distancing and outdoor socialising. There's a clear case for maintaining these closures and making spaces permanently available to the people.

Right now, and despite the Mayor's support, this is only a proposal; it will be up to the City's leaders to take some or all of it onboard.