Summer 2026 Showed Us What New York Can Be
Our streets aren't just places to move through—they're where New York becomes New York.
Astoria streets fill up after the Knicks win the NBA Championship
I looked up and saw five-dollar bills raining down from a lamppost at the corner of Steinway Street and Broadway. Free money is free money, and I immediately began moving with the crowd to catch as many bills as I could. Knicks in Five!
It was midnight in Astoria, but things were just getting started.
Steinway Street after the Knicks championship game will forever be etched in my memory. Along this one street, you saw every part of New York come together in its truest form. Raw, diverse, frenetic. Folks of all different backgrounds gathered to celebrate. Italian and Moroccan flags waved simultaneously alongside chants of “Knicks in Five.” It was old and young, white and non-white. It didn’t matter; we were all New Yorkers.
Summer 2026’s post-game Knicks victory parties and spontaneous World Cup celebrations have demonstrated the value of public space not just as a space people move through, but as a place where life happens.
Our shared public space and street network are the beating heart of our city. We need more of them! We should build a world in which our public spaces become the city’s default gathering places. Permanent pedestrian plazas can serve as our civic town halls, much as they do in other countries. After all, we own the street network.
Ultimately, the fight for open streets and livable neighborhoods is about community. It’s about choosing the type of city we want to live in. The infrastructure New York builds and how we use it reflect our values. New York’s values of community, connection, and opportunity should be reflected in every aspect of our public space.
Here at Civic Pulse, we are trying to build the vision and support for that city. If you have an idea on how New York can do that, write for us! If you think there’s a community event we should create or partner on, reach out!
Neighbors playing transit bingo during our first Nerd Night. Join us on June 20th!
This is what we’re hoping Nerd Night can help build: a space for learning, new ideas, and neighbors meeting neighbors.
If this sounds like the kind of New York you want to live in, come build it with us.
Every month, we host a handful of short, fun, five-minute talks on city planning, politics, and local issues. Each presentation is followed by audience Q&A, then drinks, conversation, and a chance to meet fellow New Yorkers.
Join us for our next Nerd Night: Open Streets 101
📅 July 20 • 6:00 PM
📍 Heart of Gold, Astoria
RSVP and come build a better New York with us—we’d love to see you there!