During his first week as mayor of Ithaca, New York, Svante Myrick gave up his car so that he could walk to his job every day at City Hall. The newly elected 24-year-old official joined 15% of local residents in the city who already walk to work. And even though he does not need it, the mayor is still provided with a central downtown parking spot reserved for his official use. The progressive leader has decided to transform the private parking space into a tiny shared public park.
Now at City Hall every day of the week is a permanent PARK(ing) Day celebration of public space and the commons. The young mayor came from humble origins, and is not your typical politician; he has been actively working to improve Ithaca’s transportation options and sustainable infrastructure. On his campaign website Mr. Myrick offered this insight into his reasoning:
“The answer to too many cars is not necessarily more parking spaces … We can change traffic patterns and parking behaviors by providing alternative methods of transportation which are more affordable, reliable and convenient.”
