Curb Enthusiasm

Southwark’s Council Leader James McAsh joins the podcast to discuss how London’s low traffic neighborhoods are reimagining neighborhood streets and commercial delivery across the borough. Co-hosts Emily Weidenhof & Huma Husain discuss the benefits of Southwark’s street redesigns, and how New York City could learn from their success.

Former Department of Traffic Commissioner and renowned traffic engineer Sam ‘Gridlock Sam’ Schwartz joins the podcast to discuss the history congestion pricing, autonomous vehicles, and on-street parking reform in New York City. Co-hosts Emily Weidenhof & NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn also chat with Schwartz about the city’s first on-street protected bike lane, the origins of his name ‘Gridlock Sam’, and even answers a few questions from our listeners. 

Clarence Eckerson Jr. has been filming streets since 2005. As the founder of Streetfilms, he has documented the transformation of cities around the world, from Bogotá's Ciclovía to London's Low Traffic Neighborhoods, Paris's school streets initiative, and Montreal's pedestrianization projects, amassing millions of views and becoming one of the most trusted voices in urban transportation media. In this episode of Curb Enthusiasm, NYC DOT's Emily Weidenhof and Sal Garro sit down with Eckerson for a wide-ranging conversation about what cities around the world are doing to reclaim street space for people and what New York can learn from them.

Season 2 of Curb Enthusiasm kicks off with NYC’s new DOT Commissioner, Mike Flynn. Commissioner Flynn shares his vision for the agency under Mayor Mamdani. He discusses faster buses, safer streets, saving outdoor dining, and why he thinks this is a defining moment for New York City streets.

Emily Weidenhof and co-host Ryan Lynch sit down with New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. The trio discuss his career in public service, immigrating to the United States at 18 years of age, his proudest accomplishments as DOT commissioner, and advice for the incoming Mamdani Administration. 

Emily Weidenhof and co-host Burkina Morgan welcome esteemed sociologist, professor, and award-winning author Eric Klinenberg to the podcast to discuss what social infrastructure is and why it is vital to building strong and resilient cities. The trio talks about how everyday community staples like parks, public plazas, and even the subway can shape the connections we make with others.

Paul Schwartz, Deputy Commissioner of Bridges at the NYC Department of Transportation, joins the podcast to discuss the history behind New York City’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge, and what it takes to oversee and maintain it along with over 800 other bridges across the five boroughs. 

Emily Weidenhof is joined by co-host David Breen, director of strategic initiatives at NYC DOT, for a conversation with Andy Wiley-Schwartz about his work leading the pedestrianization of Times Square, shaping the landscape of Manhattan, and how NYC DOT is continuing to reimagine the Broadway corridor. Andy is a manager consultant for Bloomberg Associates and former assistant commissioner for public space at NYC DOT.

Emily Weidenhof and co-host Rochelle Brahalla, director of transit strategy at NYC DOT, welcome Nashville Department of Transportation Director Diana Alarcon to the podcast. The conversation focuses on the Choose How You Move referendum, which raised sales tax 0.5% to fund enhanced public transportation, sidewalk expansions, upgraded traffic signals, and safety projects in Nashville, Tennessee.

Eric Sanderson, vice president for urban conservation strategy at the New York Botanical Garden and the author of the best-selling book, Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, joins Emily Weidenhof and Kyle Gorman, assistant director of programs and partnerships in NYC DOT’s Public Realm team. They discuss how the city looked before European settlement, the influence of indigenous trails on the city’s first streets, the shift from agriculture to housing as transportation methods expanded, and the effect of climate change on the future of NYC’s streets and public space.