With numerous storefronts vacant and office and retail rental rates lagging behind other prime Midtown corridors, Broadway is currently "under-performing" by a number of economic measures, [DOT Commissioner] Sadik-Khan said. Based on experience in other cities, a more pedestrian-friendly Broadway should "get more people out on the street. They will buy more coffee and do more shopping."I grew up in Ossining, NY, a Hudson Valley village with a dilapidated downtown shopping area. As in so many American towns and cities, the streetcar tracks had been ripped up. Ever since, a lack of available parking has prevented Ossining's downtown from becoming a destination. But the beauty of a dense city like New York, where over half of residents don't even own a car, is that the opposite is true: Getting cars out of the way actually encourages consumption. That, after all, is the logic behind the mall; you leave your car behind, and walk on foot from shop to shop. There's food. There's a movie theater. Malls recreate the experience of the city. Nice to see a real city embracing what it does best: cater to people, not automobiles. --Dana Goldstein
