NEW YORK CITY: FROM MEAN TO GREEN

Year after year and block after block, the famously mean streets of New York City – which make up a quarter of its land mass – are gradually being tamed.

Cycling has gone from a marginal to mainstream mode of travel, and countless pavements have been transformed into vibrant plazas.

Crowds of people walk, cycle, and dine while sitting along Manhattan streets that are lined with protected bike lanes, planter boxes, and terraced areas.

~ Melissa and Christ Bruntlett, authors of “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality” and “Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in our Lives”