Speaker: Janette Sadik-Khan, Principal at Bloomberg Associates, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (2007–2013), and co-author of Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution
As New York City’s transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan managed the seemingly impossible and transformed the streets of one of the world’s greatest, toughest cities into dynamic spaces safe for pedestrians and bikers. Her approach was dramatic and effective: Simply painting a part of the street to make it into a plaza or bus lane not only made the street safer, but it also lessened congestion and increased foot traffic, which improved the bottom line of businesses. Real-life experience confirmed that if you know how to read the street, you can make it function better by not totally reconstructing it but by reallocating the space that’s already there. In this talk, Sadik-Khan will draw on many themes of her recent book, Streetfight, to offer real-world strategies for reclaiming city streets.
Janette Sadik-Khan is one of the world’s foremost authorities on transportation and urban transformation. She served as New York City’s transportation commissioner from 2007 to 2013 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, overseeing historic changes to New York City’s streets—closing Broadway to cars in Times Square, building nearly 400 miles of bike lanes, and creating more than 60 plazas citywide. A founding principal with Bloomberg Associates, she works with mayors around the world to reimagine and redesign their cities. She chairs the National Association of Transportation Officials, implementing new people-focused street design standards that have been adopted in 45 cities across the continent.
This event is free and open to the public; however, seating is limited. Please arrive early to secure a seat.
A book-signing will follow immediately after the talk.
This event is co-sponsored by The Center for Science and Society, the Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy concentration, and the Urban and Social Policy concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University.
