Planning, Design and Policy Analyst, Public Realm

City of New York•New York City, NY

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Transportation Planning and Management (TPM) is responsible for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods on the City's streets, supporting the larger goals of economic and social vitality for people living, working, and doing business in New York City. The Division’s responsibilities include planning, street design, technical analysis, signs, transit development, freight mobility and markings, ensuring the safety of motor vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and cyclists. The Office Livable Streets (OLS) is tasked with prioritizing strategic planning, community engagement, research, policy, design, implementation, and long-term management. Their goal is to create streets that are livable, supporting safety, accessibility, inclusion, resiliency, active modes, community cohesion, and economic vitality citywide. Additionally, they aim to enhance New York City's pedestrian, bicycle, and micromobility networks, providing comfortable, connected, green, and reliable transportation options across the five boroughs. They place special emphasis on Priority Investment Areas, mode shift, and reimagining streets. The office also develops innovative new programs, design typologies, project delivery, and analysis tools to meet the demands of a rapidly changing population with evolving needs and technologies. The multidisciplinary Public Realm Unit is responsible for engaging New Yorkers to reimagine and utilize their city streets as public space and oversees the development of programs, policies, projects, and management tools to elevate the public realm experience for its primary user – the pedestrian. Through initiatives and programs ranging from the Pedestrian Mobility Plan, Public Space Programming, the Public Space Equity Program, Open Streets, Super Sidewalks, Street Seats, Complex Intersections, Shared Streets and Plazas, the Public Realm Unit creates vibrant and inclusive spaces that improve safety, accessibility, and walkability while enhancing commerce, community, and culture throughout New York City. OLS is seeking a motivated Planning, Design and Policy Analyst for its Public Realm Unit within the TPM Division. Reporting to the Public Realm’s Director of Strategic Initiatives (SI), the successful candidate will work closely with the SI Director and Transportation Planning and Management teams to produce neighborhood scale planning and transportation studies that promote equity, walkability, mode shift, and opportunities for greening. This work will include the development of metrics and benchmarks for project evaluation (pre- and post-implementation), strategies to provide comprehensive data analysis and recommendations to inform planning and design initiatives for the Public Realm unit. The role will also include the creation of public facing materials that may include maps, diagrams, and conceptual designs. and regular reports which help communicate the mission and objectives of the Public Realm unit as well as synthesize regular outcomes and benefits of the work. The Planning, Design and Policy Analyst responsibilities include, but are not limited to, neighborhood planning, project coordination, data identification, collection, and analysis, with a specific emphasis on traffic capacity analyses, research and reporting, project management and development of visual aids to represent work deliverables. The person in this role will be responsible for managing and executing a select number of projects from inception through completion with attention to further the overall goals of the Office of Livable Streets. The selected candidate will work with internal DOT units, as well as outside agency partners including NYC Parks, Economic Development Corporation, City Planning, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and as well as members of the community and local stakeholders. In addition, Planning, Design and Policy Analyst may work with other units to identify and define project scopes for current and future work including Open Streets and Programming, Street Improvement Projects (SIP), neighborhood analyses, or public realm initiatives. Additional responsibilities may include project management for in-house or consultant-based work and special projects within the five boroughs. The Department of Transportation s (DOT) mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary customers, City residents. DOT is an equal opportunity employer, committed to recruiting and maintaining a diverse workforce in an open and inclusive environment.

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree in architecture from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of full-time experience in planning, design, research, investigations and/or studies related to urban design development programs; or
A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to ""1"" above. However, a baccalaureate degree in architecture is required of all candidates.
Graduate work leading to an advanced degree in architecture, urban design or city planning maybe substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Nice To Haves

Professional experience in urban planning, urban design, or urban geography, with a practical understanding of transportation planning, data analysis and modelling.
Previous experience with mapping software (ArcGIS), Computer-Aided Design (AutoCAD), Adobe Creative Suite, statistics, and Microsoft 365 desired.
Ability to work independently and in a highly collaborative environment, respond to and manage against tight timelines, identify and prioritize among competing needs and opportunities, and manage multiple projects at the same time.
Strong organizational, administrative, writing and graphic communication skills, with a creative thinking and problem-solving approach.
Strong communication skills with public speaking experience desired and demonstrated interest in the public realm.

Responsibilities

Neighborhood planning
Project coordination
Data identification, collection, and analysis, with a specific emphasis on traffic capacity analyses
Research and reporting
Project management
Development of visual aids to represent work deliverables
Managing and executing a select number of projects from inception through completion with attention to further the overall goals of the Office of Livable Streets
Work with internal DOT units, as well as outside agency partners including NYC Parks, Economic Development Corporation, City Planning, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and as well as members of the community and local stakeholders
Work with other units to identify and define project scopes for current and future work including Open Streets and Programming, Street Improvement Projects (SIP), neighborhood analyses, or public realm initiatives
Project management for in-house or consultant-based work and special projects within the five boroughs
Produce neighborhood scale planning and transportation studies that promote equity, walkability, mode shift, and opportunities for greening
Development of metrics and benchmarks for project evaluation (pre- and post-implementation)
Strategies to provide comprehensive data analysis and recommendations to inform planning and design initiatives for the Public Realm unit
Creation of public facing materials that may include maps, diagrams, and conceptual designs
Regular reports which help communicate the mission and objectives of the Public Realm unit as well as synthesize regular outcomes and benefits of the work