A guten*
And welcome to this newsletter.
It's where I (John Surico) talk each month about cities & their discontents: streets, climate, cultures, people, food, form, etc. This month, we cover:
- Living with trucks;
- A parks policy platform;
- Climate theater;
& much, much more.
Editorial note: In July, I mentioned that I, on behalf of this missive, was invited to attend Utopian Hours, an urban innovation conference happening next month in Turin, Italy. It’s the first time that Streetbeat is summit-bound(!). And, to that end, a heartfelt thanks is in order—both to Stratosferica, for selecting it as a premiere newsletter; and to subscribers for even making that possible, through your readership and support. (Aw shucks. Or, rather: Che bella.)
What that means for readers, though, is that the next edition will be exclusively dedicated to what I hear and see there—like, a travel diary mixed with some commentary, sans food and sights. (Which, I guess, is a dispatch?) I’ll be pulling out key takeaways from visits, seminars, and presentations that say something about where our cities are, or headed. So consider this a heads up—and hope you enjoy the brief break from our regularly scheduled programming. Allora.
Strength in numbers
Right now, most conversations that involve me sharing that I work in higher education induce some sort of eyebrow raise. Because—not sure if you’re aware—but American universities in 2025 are having a moment. Just to give you a sneak peek of what happens when authoritarianism comes to academia: for the first time ever, “content checkers” are visiting our local college radio station to ensure that its segments don’t attraction the attention of the FCC à la Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert; a graduate DEI office was hastily renamed to “global inclusion;” and an upcoming planned exhibit was dashed for its subject matter, which was deemed “too political” in this current climate. (TLDR: it wasn’t.) There’s more, but I’ll spare you (and my colleagues) the details.
But in this moment when our institutions are shuddering in the face of far-right extremism, my fellow adjuncts and I have decided to do the exact opposite—by announcing a union-led campaign to win Paid Family Leave from the university administration. Over 200 instructors have signed on to demand this crucial benefit—to plan for the future, care for our loved ones, and so much more–that is currently enjoyed by full-time faculty but not the professors who make up the bulk of the teaching staff. And now we’re readying a months-long campaign to make a whole lot of noise when universities have otherwise gone quiet.
This year, myself and (the great!) Liza Featherstone are serving as the shop stewards for NYU Journalism, in an effort to build community and solidarity amongst colleagues. We’re like reps; if you want something—like an adjunct lounge—we’ll advocate to get you it, with some fun hangs and socials along the way. (FWIW: We actually did get that lounge, and had our first-ever adjuncts social!) Because now feels like the right time to organize. And I hope wherever you are, there’s a chance to do the same.
Keep on truckin’
Over the course of the 20th century, we (in royal fashion) shifted all the stuff we move around the planet off of trains and barges and onto gigantic trucks. Our world of products is built upon a sprawling supply chain of 18-wheelers. And I’ve yapped on here before about what that means for the air we breathe and the space we share. But I’ve spent a little less time on the immense impact that economic configuration has on the streets we traverse.
In short: our cities weren’t really built for them. The weight carried by tractor-trailers is gradually degrading our built environment—our roads, our bridges, our tunnels—hastening the end of natural lifespans designed for much longer. And at a time when infrastructure dollars are disappearing into thin air, municipalities face an uphill battle in their maintenance and upkeep.
I’ve covered a few solutions to this—last-mile deliveries, where precious cargo is divided up amongst smaller e-bikes; reviving waterways and rail for freight; drones; and others. And it’s tricky, right? Our world increasingly relies on shipments; the trucks have only gotten bigger to accommodate our needs. (Having to cart around cranes to replace water mains and pre-fab homes to address a housing shortage stumped me.) But a rare success story has been what’s known as weigh-in-motion technology, where sensors ticket overweight vehicles on fractious thoroughfares. And where I live, it’s catching on.
I did a deep dive into WIM and whether we’ll ever solve our trucking problem—because I’m low-key a freight reporter now—for Bloomberg CityLab. Chegg it out.
Taking its toll
Earlier this month, I was invited to moderate a panel on Staten Island about congestion pricing. Now, these are two phrases that often don’t go together in New York—the borough, which is heavily car-dependent and conservative, was the most outspoken about the new tolls. (The borough president quite literally joined a lawsuit with the state of New Jersey, which was very on brand.) And so, naturally, I was expecting to field a lot of frustration.
But actually, quite the opposite happened. Barely anyone had a comment when the time for Q&A approached, or even a retort to the convincing presentations put on by representatives from the agencies—the New York City Department of Transportation, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority—as well as the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation. When nothing came in, we had to pass the mic around the crowd, and the only question we got from an audience primarily made up of business owners was how New York City can lead in the future. (To be honest: I spent the rest of the time improvising.)
But that’s because—and I’m going to borrow the words of a panelist here—congestion pricing is old news. It’s hard to believe it, but the first-in-the-nation tolling scheme, which charges drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street in exchange for transit upgrades, is nine months old. And today you rarely read about it, once spurring a story *every single day* in the tabloids to few mentions, if any, this last week. What we do get now is just the results: the 2.7 million less cars, the 70% decrease in honking complaints, the 60 percent approval rating.
There’s a hard lesson learned here in how we praise policy wins. If something’s working, you don’t hear about it. Instead it becomes a part of our daily lives, and eventually, something we can’t imagine living without. So how do we celebrate progress? Or, rather, how do we convince decision-makers that the short-term struggle of public dismay will be all but forgotten soon enough?
Parks politics
This month, the 110th mayor of New York City—Eric Adams—announced that he will no longer seek re-election. (More on that soon.) And so, his four-year tenure will come to a close on New Year’s Day, leaving behind a legacy that many will be parsing through for some time. (More on that, also, soon.)
But a notable omission from his time in office was a vision for New York City’s parks. Adams is one of the only mayors in recent history with no big plans for the space that consumes an eighth of the city’s landmass. This runs contrary to his predecessors: Rudy Giuliani’s two terms saw the revival of the city’s signature parks; Michael Bloomberg’s three terms saw almost a thousand acres of new parkland; and Bill de Blasio’s two terms saw a renewed focus on community parks and playgrounds. Eric Adams, with just one term, patched together a few initiatives into a fairly muted platform that never took off. Instead, he’ll likely be remembered for projects carried over from previous administrations and deep budget cuts he levied that his Parks Department hasn’t yet recovered from—a microcosm of a much larger critique of his reign.
It’s still unclear what a future mayor has in store. Zohran Mamdani, the likely victor and Democratic nominee, often cites Bloomberg’s work as inspiration. Andrew Cuomo, the independent nominee and former governor, hoists his record of state parks up often. And Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee and Guardian Angels founder, promises cleanliness. (Mamdani has taken the pledge to dedicate 1% of the budget to parks; Cuomo and Sliwa have not.) But for what it’s worth, parks haven’t exactly been a hot-button issue on the campaign trail.
So, to apply pressure, advocates recently came out with their own platform: Parks 2030. Its aim is a world-class system, with thriving parks in every neighborhood as part of an affordability agenda to keep New Yorkers here. That means more upkeep, more efficient spending, more jobs, and… well, more parks. The research that I’ve led at Center for an Urban Future actively played a role in the plan’s development with New Yorkers for Parks, and I’m thrilled to see a whole plank for funding, including ideas for dedicated parks revenue that we’ve previously proposed. (Mamdani has publicly endorsed a ‘community parks surcharge’ placed on high-value real estate transfers.)
In sum, Parks 2030 serves as a blueprint of action to make the vitality of green spaces integral to governing America’s largest city, as it once was. Game on.
OSA: Pull up a chair
Fall is peak Open Street season. The weather’s not too hot, not too cold, and the summer malaise has slowly let up. But each year, our organization jokes that the last few months of operations feel like a sprint to the finish line, with a rush of programming to put on before we hibernate. So that’s what we’ve been up to, with about 20+ free events each weekend and six full-on vendor fairs just this last month. (Regular reminder that this is a fully volunteer effort.)
But a particularly special moment came in early September, when we hosted ‘The Longest Table’ on 31st Ave. For those less familiar, the name says it all: a series of tables and seating is unfurled down a city block, and everyone is invited to partake in the picnic. The tradition has its roots in Egypt, but today, a New York-based nonprofit has inspired replicas elsewhere. And from what we’re aware, we organized the first one Queens has ever seen.
There’s much to be said about the organizing, and I’m happy to DM with folks who interested in hosting one where they are. And wow, I’m still recovering from some of the spreads we saw: the granite block buffet! the bollard bouquets my friends brought! the Indonesian rice table! It was a magical evening, no doubt.
But I’ll just say two things here, to keep it brief. The first: it took a village. A local beer garden donated the furniture, local creatives designed the placemats, local artists performed, and local eateries contributed to the raffle. Not tapping talent in would’ve not only be taxing, but also, it defeats the whole purpose: if it’s a community potluck, then everyone should bring something.
The second part? People are pros. With 31 tables and 186 seats, we were worried that we’d have a musical-chairs-level mad dash on our hands. Sure, it took coordination (and a 300+ person waiting list), but our neighbors fell into an organic rhythm, arranging groups and meals to accommodate one another. Our greatest lesson learned, in my opinion, is that we over-engineered; if you give people a place to sit—and the actual ability to do so—they’ll figure out the rest.
Bright Side: Breakthroughs
This month’s Climate Week in New York reminded me of how difficult it can be to stay positive these days. Celebrating climate progress when we appear to be making anything but—actually, maybe even moving backwards—will do that. But one has to remind themselves that the systems by which we’re receiving information about the world–and, thus, constructing our reality—thrive off of algorithms and financial models that prefer negativity. And because of the way our brains are wired, the bad stuff hits harder and lasts longer.
Case in point: in the same set of days the leader of the free world spewed out genuinely deadly misinformation about vaccines and Tylenol, scientists (at my alma mater, nonetheless!) used gene therapy to successfully treat Huntington’s disease for the first time ever. The neurological illness, which is most similar to ataxia, something I’ve discussed here before, starts to show in your 30s or 40s; life expectancy after is about two decades. But for three-quarters of patients treated, its degrade was slowed by almost 400%—so what would take one year would take four years, with treatment. That’s literally a lifetime of difference.
Oh, and researchers recently made advances in treating sickle cell anemia, curing pancreatic cancer, developing a sunshine-powered car, and understanding what causes lupus. But we’re probably not seeing any of that when we swipe. That’s all to say: good news is out there. We just have to get better at finding it. (I guess that’s what this section is all about, eh?)
On the Radar
Flood Sensor Aunty
Communicating climate readiness—namely: our mitigation and adaptation to a rapidly warming planet—is increasingly essential as we face down worsening weather events and wonkier seasons. We need to be able to translate very real and scary concepts (like, if you live in a basement and it floods, or your older neighbor lacks A/C during a heat wave) so they become common parlance in how we perceive and understand the changes unfolding around us. And that can be done through a variety of media: public service announcements, journalism, classrooms, popular culture, or—today’s favorite—theater.
This month, I had the pleasure of seeing my friend Sabina’s play (on a 140-year-old boat in the East River, no less). The description online is apt: the production finds itself “halfway between really funny devised theater and community disaster prevention.” In it, Sabina incarnates a flood sensor with Hollywood ambitions who works at a Queens chai shop on the brink of closure. Scenes are interspersed with practical tips from actual city agencies on what to do in case of climate emergencies. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn to head to the roof.
But what Sabina and her cast nail is the comms part of it all. If we’re going to make these ideas digestible to the masses, they shouldn’t feel like patronizing. They shouldn’t feel like homework. And they shouldn’t be boring. And, who knows… maybe they can even be fun.
Flood Sensor Aunty continues to travel around—catch it if/when you can!
Streetbeat Gig Board
Gowanus Canal Conservancy, the group helping to spearhead the revitalization of one of the most polluted waterways in America, is looking for a deputy director. (Brooklyn, NY)
We need a transit nerd to teach at CUNY Hunter! (New York, NY)
The Mayor of London needs someone to help implement—I mean, combat—climate change. (London, UK)
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Tell us where the jobs are at by submitting them here.
Kita Monthly
"Congestion pricing is old news." !!! A city official who was part of the implementation of Citi Bike once told me that "everything is the most controversial thing in the world till you do it." Feel like we're racking up examples of things everyone hated but they now can't see themselves without.