September 2, 2013

What Infrastructure Issues Await the Next Mayor of New York City?

Introduction

André da Loba

The next mayor of New York faces some tough challenges that go to the core of what keeps the city livable. Challenges that he or she will have to address include basic infrastructural issues like electricity, water, flooding, waste management, housing and development, to name a few. What should be the new mayor’s priorities?

This is the fourth in a series of discussions on what awaits the next chief executive of New York.

Read the Discussion »

Debaters

Plan for Future Housing Needs

Barika X. Williams, Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development

Put city housing policies in place that meet the long-term, real affordability needs of residents and neighborhoods.
Prepare for Floods and Prevent Them

Philip Orton, Stevens Institute of Technology

Protections against ever-rising seas are not enough. The city must take aggressive steps to reduce its carbon emissions.
Transit-Oriented Development

Julia Vitullo-Martin, Regional Plan Association.

The city needs more development concentrated near transit hubs. And that means more rezoning.
More Parks and Green Space

Adrian Benepe, former New York City Parks Commissioner

Continue with unfinished projects now underway, like the Fresh Kills landfill, and build more parks for a growing city.
Better Use of Land for Utilities

Hope Cohen, The Battery Conservancy

Whether it's pipes, tunnels, wires or specialized facilities, the next mayor needs to encourage creative environmental design.