Transforming Parking into Parks in Ithaca Begins at the Top

Svante Myrick, Ithaca's youngest-ever mayor, is leading the way in transforming how the city thinks about transportation and land use, and he's starting with his own front yard, reports Sarah Laskow.

1 minute read

May 31, 2012, 12:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

After becoming Ithaca's youngest-ever mayor earlier this year, at 25 years old, one of Myrick's first moves as head of the city was to ditch his car and join the estimated 15% of residents who walk and take public transportation to work. So what to do about his now-vacant reserved downtown parking spot?

"Instead of letting it stand empty, last week he began to, as he put it, 'turn the Mayor's parking space into a park space,'" writes Laskow. "Myrick hasn't given up driving entirely; he belongs to the local Ithaca Carshare and told the Ithaca Times, 'I love driving I miss my car.' But he's also working to enhance Ithaca's transportation options."

FULL STORY: Ithaca mayor turns his personal parking space into a mini-park

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 in Grist

Land Use Landscape Architecture Transportation New York Parking Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick View More

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