In 1997, New York City had virtually no bike infrastructure. There were a few lanes scattered through the middle of Manhattan and maybe one or two running through Brooklyn and Queens. According to Sean Quinn, Senior Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs for the Department of Transportation (DOT), 20 years of progress have produced vast increases in bike routes covering a large part of the boroughs. New York has definitely made tons of progress in their bike programs, though it was reassuring to hear from Quinn that they’re far from finished with their goals. There’s still plenty of gaps in the 2017’s map, especially in places that need it the most, where cars are not an affordable option, but streets aren’t inviting enough for bikers.
Continue reading “Plazas, Bikes, and Public Art: A ‘Streetfight’ Panel Discussion”
Sarah Singh
Criminalizing Dance & Movements Against Police Brutality On Screen: GET LITE and WHOSE STREETS at City Lore
The Lower East Side’s City Lore gallery exhibits and “preserves the grassroots, cultural heritage of NYC” through art showings and screenings. They recently hosted two important films on interrelated themes affecting the lives of young people of color. They screened ‘GET LITE’ on June 17th, 2017 on a dance subculture; as well as that of WHOSE STREETS on October 11th, 2017 on the organization behind the Black Lives Matter movement and quality of life policing.
GET LITE exhibits the art of litefeet, “Litefeet is the new American dance; a dance done by hustlers and dreamers qua criminals; a dance of ambition and talent… a dance of underprivileged youth looking for a break in a city that criminalizes their movements”. “WHOSE STREETS” is a first-hand exposè of the continued police violence which followed the murder of teenager Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson on August 9th 2014. Directors Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis feature several of the voices involved in the initial rise of the prominent Black Lives Matter movement. While WHOSE STREETS reshapes the narrative of mainstream media by focusing on the glaring malpractice of the police force in Ferguson, Missouri and highlighting the immense accomplishments of grassroots organizing, GET LITE uses the art form of Litefeet to frame a conversation on the criminalization of non-white youth in New York city.
Continue reading “Criminalizing Dance & Movements Against Police Brutality On Screen: GET LITE and WHOSE STREETS at City Lore”