"We’re looking at our streets as valuable public places, and we need to make it easier and safer for people to walk around and bike."
Good Morning Folks,
TED talks have become an integral forum in airing ideas about tomorrow's world, and how the likes of transport and energy will be revolutionized in the future.
Today's selection for a Ted Talk to share is strikes a personal chord. Ms. Sadik-Khan's work in the Bloomberg administration was deeply felt for the better in the immediate area surrounding our New York headquarters and in many of our daily commutes.
Janette Sadik-Khan demonstrates how paint, lawn chairs and a bit of imagination can quickly transform city streets, creating immediate public and commercial vitality. Sadik-Khan, listed as one of Business Insider’s “50 Women Who Are Changing the World,” is responsible for re-purposing 26 acres of dense New York City car lanes into pedestrian-friendly space. “More people on foot is better for business,” she says. Despite commanding a two billion dollar budget, her economical approach as commissioner of NYC’s Department of Transportation are testaments to her design sensitivity, relying on rapid-testing and regular iteration to expand the city’s public domain.
The work of a transport commissioner isn't just about stop signs and traffic signals," explains Janette Sadik-Khan, who was appointed to that role in New York City in 2007. In this funny and thought-provoking talk, she details the thinking behind successful initiatives to reshape street life in the 5 boroughs, including the addition of pedestrian zones in Times Square and the arrival of Citi Bikes. (Watch for the special cameo at the end of the talk.)
"Street design is a crucial element of living in today's "urban age." Her work, under the guidance of then-mayor Michael Bloomberg, turned tourist-magnet Times Square into a two-and-a-half-acre pedestrian-friendly zone, simultaneously cutting down traffic and making the environment a safer space.
“One of our greatest innovations is our ability to move quickly. The normal capital construction program takes about five years. But we’ve been able to transform city streets virtually overnight. You can literally paint the city you want to see. You can do it with two traffic cones, a can of paint, and stone planters. And we’re able to show the results.”
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| There goes the neighborhood. At FSO' doorstep. Photo: NYC Dot2 |
Her goal is to transform the city streets, and reinvent New York City as a livable, green place.
Envious as I am of her $2 billion budget, the only thing better than New York during these holiday times, is a cleaner, greener, New York. Ms. Sadik-Khan all of us at FSO are grateful to you for that indeed.
Have a GREAT Day,
Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer
Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TED Tuesdays on MitchWeiner.com highlights some of today's most intriguing ideas. Look for more talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more— HERE.
About FSO Onsite Outsourcing
Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the third consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.
Sadik-Khan has served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation since 2007. Previously she was senior vice president at the engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff and served as deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration in Washington.
