2020 marked a dramatic shift in New Yorkers' use of their streets and sidewalks: the City's Open Streets program pedestrianized over 67 miles, and its Open Restaurants program attracted over 9,000 applications from interested restaurants. Thousands of business, community organizations, and Business Improvement Districts participated, creating an unprecedented experiment in how private organizations use the public realm. These programs are just the beginning, as changing technologies and cultural preferences pressure public pavement to move beyond auto-oriented uses. For instance, how will streets and sidewalks accommodate new forms of personal mobility, climate resilient infrastructure, or micro-retail and housing?

One year in to Open Streets and Open Restaurants, P/PREP invites you to learn how public officials and private leaders are reflecting on the program, what they learned from countless deployments, and how they and their constituents are looking to the future of street uses. Our esteemed panelists are:

• Erick Gregory, Chief Urban Designer + Director of Urban Design, NYC Department of City Planning (DCP)

• Jeffrey C. LeFrancois, Executive Director, Meatpacking District

• Wellington Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown Partnership

Register here to attend for this virtual event! The link to the livestream will be sent to registered attendees in advance.

Note: This will be P/PREP's first - and hopefully last - virtual event! As New York City continues to reopen, we hope to be able to meet again for events and networking in-person very soon!