The Governance Crisis | Nov 8th at 9:55am
Clive Doucet gave a riveting presentation about his city of Ottawa. What struck me most about what he had to say was that there is a crisis of governance—in his country and others. I keep thinking back to what Judith Rodin said yesterday about “bold ideas.” In 2006, during a transit strike during the most brutal December weather, anyone who wanted to enter Manhattan during peak hours had to carpool—4 to a car—and streets shared the road (not the bike lane) with bicyclists. It was the boldest, eco-friendly approach to NYC’s congestion that I’ve seen. Granted it lasted for just a few days, but I have always wondered why NYC doesn’t institute some kind of similar program year-round.
As Andy Altman from Philadelphia sat up there on the panel, I wanted to ask him if he thought Philly was ready for an equally bold approach to radically changing the way people get around the city. But the panel ended too soon.
Diana Lind is editor in chief of Next American City magazine.
