TSTC friend Institute for Transportation and Development Policy will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on June 30th with the opening of a cutting-edge exhibit about transportation, environmentalism, and the future of urban spaces.

For “Our Cities Ourselves,” ten of the world’s leading architects were challenged to create plans for ten cities in 2030 that balance sustainable development, equity, population growth, and environmentalism.

New York is the only United States city in the exhibit, and NYC-based architect Michael Sorkin’s proposal to remove the southern portion of the FDR Drive in Manhattan and replace it with parks and cafes is sure to create a stir. While the FDR proposal doesn’t seem to be on the Bloomberg administration’s radar,  highway removals are gaining ground in our region. NYSDOT is seriously studying the removal of the Sheridan Expressway in the South Bronx,  and New Haven Mayor DeStefano in Connecticut is actively seeking funding to help remove Route 34.

The nine other cities in the exhibit are Mexico City, Ahmedabad, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, Dar es Salaam, Ghangzhou, Buenos Aires, and Jakarta.

The exhibit opens on June 24th and is on view until September 11th. The exhibit opening and ITDP’s benefit will be on June 30th at the Center for Architecture at 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City.