Project Overview
Introduction
Achieving walkability has become a central goal for many urban designers and policymakers. Walkability aligns closely with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including Good Health and Well-being, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals).
New York City’s Open Streets Program directly supports these objectives. The program originated from the NYC Department of Transportation’s temporary street closures initiated in 2008, such as Weekend Walks, Summer Streets, and Play Streets, which repurposed streets for pedestrian and public use. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased demand for outdoor public space, NYC DOT expanded and rebranded these initiatives under the Open Streets program to provide safe outdoor and social distancing spaces.
Since 2020, the Open Streets Program has transformed city streets into public spaces open to all, supporting a wide range of activities related to public health, economic development, education, recreation, and cultural programming. To date, the program has opened up to approximately 100 miles of Open Streets, representing about 1.6 percent of New York City’s street network (Transportation Alternatives, 2020).
Equity Concerns in NYC Open Streets
Despite the program’s contribution to walkability, concerns have emerged regarding its equitable distribution. The Open Streets initiative has raised questions about whether its benefits are shared evenly across neighborhoods, or whether it has instead created new spatial disparities between communities that benefit from the program and those that do not.
A report by the pedestrian advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives highlights significant inequities in the planning, implementation, and infrastructure quality of NYC’s Open Streets. The report finds that households living within walking distance of highly rated Open Streets were more than twice as likely to earn over $200,000 annually. In contrast, households earning below $75,000 were more likely to live near poorly rated Open Streets than near highly rated ones (Transportation Alternatives).
Research Objective
Given this context, this project examines the equity of NYC’s Open Streets Program through the lens of broader social determinants. Specifically, the project aims to quantify the fairness of Open Streets locations by comparing their accessibility to essential urban services.
The analysis focuses on three core social determinants that represent basic daily needs: - Employment opportunities - Healthcare facilities - Educational institutions
By evaluating accessibility to these essential services, this project seeks to assess whether NYC’s Open Streets are equitably distributed across neighborhoods, or whether they are disproportionately concentrated in areas that already enjoy higher levels of access and socioeconomic advantage.