iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Andrew Stern

Award-Winning Reporter Dave Colon @davecolon.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Cool thing alert: New York is letting the MTA do environmental review just for the tunnel for 125th Street Q train extension, instead of doing SEQRA for the entire project at the same time, saving the MTA at least $175 million if the crosstown train gets built nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/06/05/h...

nyc.streetsblog.org

Hochul Budget Deal Gives $175M Speed Boost To 125th St. Subway Expansion - Streetsblog New York City

A one-off legislative tweak will let the MTA keep its tunnel boring machine underground between subway expansion phases.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

The Henry George Program @seethecat.org · 29/05/2026

New ep! We talk to @kerstanley.bsky.social about what happened behind the scenes on SB79, and how some ugly sacrifices were made, on local control and (especially) transit value capture What happened? Why didn't transit agencies fight for themselves? LISTEN >>>>> seethecat.org/ep/2026-05-2...

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Zoe Coombes @zoecoombes.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Never underestimate what one person can do by looking at a complex problem clearly and making the case, patiently and logically, for better. @stephenjacobsmith.com So excited to see this registering.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 26/05/2026

Mayor Mamdani has announced the Affordable & Efficient Code Reform task force, to convene later this year. The housing plan says that among other things, elevator and plumbing reform will be considered. www.nyc.gov/content/dam/... (pgs. 98-99)

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nychousing.bsky.social @nychousing.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

The waterfront is one of NYC’s greatest treasures. Living near it shouldn’t be a privilege reserved for a lucky few. Proud to join @nycplanning.bsky.social, @nycedc.bsky.social, and @nycparks.bsky.social to tour Hunters Point South, where we’ve built 3,000+ affordable homes alongside new parks.

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nychousing.bsky.social @nychousing.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

“Anything we can do to make housing happen that isn't expensive, or in this case, costs nothing, we should be doing.” In Albany, our Commissioner Dina Levy spoke with @rebeccaclewis.bsky.social about why it’s time to modernize SEQRA.

cityandstateny.com

Seeking SEQR, with Mamdani’s housing commissioner

A Q&A with HPD boss Dina Levy, who visited Albany while the budget’s being negotiated.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 23/04/2026

I don’t want NYC to become a museum. It should be a living, breathing testament to the working people of our city.

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Andrew Stern @astern.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Some ~personal~ news: I’m thrilled to join @nychousing.bsky.social as press secretary! New York is facing a historic housing crisis, but there’s an incredible team working every day to tackle it. Excited to tell their story!

MAKING MOVES: Andrew Stern, formerly of Open New York, is the new press secretary for the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 14/04/2026

This is a stellar example of the unintended consequences of most blue-state environmental laws. Greenfield sprawl and rural housing doesn’t require environmental review, in some cases AT ALL, but a single appellant angry about parking or shadows can stop an urban apartment building in its tracks.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Upzone New Jersey 🏗️ @upzonenj.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

It's "curious" how so much more history apparently happened in Lower Manhattan instead of Harlem. The truth is that only a handful of sites, like Stonewall, need protection.

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Nolan Hicks @ndhapple.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

And, later, in 1961, God delivered unto Andrew Berman the little known 11th Commandment: Thou shall never build a new building from Canal to 23nd, running from the Hudson to Lafayette.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

eternal glory to the people’s republic of mamdanistan

Rudy Giuliani Republican
8 years of allowing NIMBY member deference
Mike Bloomberg
"Republican"
12 years of allowing NIMBY member deference
"Bill de Blasio"
Democrat
8 years of allowing NIMBY member deference
Eric Adams
"Democrat"
4 years of allowing NIMBY member deference
Zohran Mamdani
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST
Stopped member deference in 2 MONTHS

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Open New York @opennewyork.org · 14/02/2026

Happy Valentine's Day from Open New York! 💘 We're feeling the love for stronger communities, welcoming neighborhoods, and a New York where everyone has a place to call home 🏘️🌇

Valentine with the text "what if we kissed in front of the community board meeting"

Valentine with the text "roses are red, violets are blue, come over to my house, let's build an ADU"

Valentine with the text "our love is allowed by-right"

Valentine with the text "let's open our relationship (to more housing)"

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

valentine's day isn't just for couples, it's also a day to celebrate love. for instance, i would love it if housing prices came down.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

This is a huge, important job

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Stan Oklobdzija @stano.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

It's not fair how much better NYC progressives are than LA progressives. We're still stuck on "New housing causes gentrification" out here.

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Jesse Kanson-Benanav @jessekb.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Amazing score by Mamdani bringing Andrew in to his already abundance-pilled administration. I've enjoyed getting to know and work with Andrew through @welcomingneighbors.us...and I won't tell anyone in NYC that he's actually a Mass. native! 😅

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

@opennewyork.org is hiring a policy director! With Mamdani as mayor and ballot questions 2-5 written into law, there's never been a better time to get involved with pro-housing policy in New York. www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/po...

linkedin.com

Open New York hiring Policy Director in New York, NY | LinkedIn

Posted 4:00:03 PM. About Open New YorkOpen New York (ONY) is a grassroots, non-profit organization advocating for…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Open New York @opennewyork.org · 06/02/2026

New York is facing a dire housing shortage that’s making our city+state unaffordable for all but the wealthiest. We’re going to solve that, and we need the best in the biz to do it. Come join our team:

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Andrew Stern @astern.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

I have learned so much from @andrewdfine.bsky.social, and I’ve never met someone more committed to solving NYC’s housing crisis. We’ll miss him at @opennewyork.org but our loss is a huge gain for @nyc.gov 🎉

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Annemarie Gray @annemariegray.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Some exciting (& bittersweet) news: our Chief of Staff & Policy Director @andrewdfine.bsky.social will be leaving Open New York to join the Mamdani admin, where he will be a senior advisor to DM Bozorg overseeing housing policy 🧵

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Reinvent Albany @reinventalbany.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Gov Hochul should VETO the bill that carves out Co-op City from bus lane enforcement. It slows buses and worsens pollution. The state Legislature should not be getting involved in local transit decisions. buff.ly/01VdEUW

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

This piece is based on research showing that since 2018 major foundations have given more than a quarter of a billion dollars to nonprofits that went on to oppose YIMBY legislation in California

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Foundations should stop funding groups that advance harmful housing policies. These left-NIMBY nonprofits dwarf the YIMBY movement w/r/t funding and paid staff. Great piece from @resnikoff.bsky.social! www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/philant...

insidephilanthropy.com

Philanthropy Needs to Pick a Side on the Housing Construction Debate

Despite California’s severe housing shortage, foundations are still funding on the wrong side of the housing fight there, guest author Ned Resnikoff writes.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

While the New York City mayoral election increasingly seems like a done deal, the fate of three pro-housing charter amendments remains up in the air. I explain what they do, and why they matter. Vote YES on Questions 2, 3, and 4! open.substack.com/pub/mnolangr...

open.substack.com

The Most Important Question on the New York City Ballot Isn’t About the Mayor

Vote "YES" on Questions 2, 3, 4, and 5.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Open New York @opennewyork.org · 27/10/2025

Polls are open, and your vote can make a real difference for housing in NYC. From @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social down, here's your guide to the candidates fighting for a more affordable city:

Housing is on the ballot: See who's fighting for a more affordable New York City ->
Mayor
Zohran Mamdani

Comptroller
Mark Levine

Borough President
Manhattan
Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Brooklyn
Antonio Reynoso
Queens
Donovan Richards

VOTE YES ON BALLOT PROPS 2-5

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Very cool to own a genuine NYC subway sign—thank you to Andrew Stern for buying this for me and to Amtrak for helping get it to DC Now to find a way to hang this monster up lol

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Samir @samir.nyc · 17/10/2025

Not a really tough choice on the ballot propositions... Vote YES on 2-5! I do not want to be aligned with the Republican Candidate, Curtis Sliwa, and neither should you!

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Second Ave. Sagas @2avesag.as · 17/10/2025

You couldn't ask for a better endorsement of Ballot Props 2-5 than Sliwa going on an unhinged rant about them. Is Adrienne Adams still sure she wants to hitch her wagon to that sinking ship?

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 10/09/2025

Andrew Cuomo was a climate disaster for New York, and cleaning up his mess is going to cost the state billions: “Five years after Indian Point started shutting down, the company charged with dismantling the nuclear plant says it could still be restarted — at an estimated cost of $10 billion.”

politico.com

Indian Point owner floats restart of shuttered nuclear reactors

Holtec, the company decommissioning the plant, says it would need state and federal backing to rebuild the plant.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Azraël (עזראל) 🐉 @emilia.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

New York City calls itself a refuge for queer and trans Americans, but that promise is at risk if we don't take on the housing crisis head on. Read my op-ed about the need to build more housing to reduce rents, in this case, via the OneLIC project: gaycitynews.com/new-york-rem...

gaycitynews.com

For New York to remain a queer haven, we must build more homes

People move to New York because they believe in certain promises: a place where you’re free to be yourself, to thrive, and to find community. Especially for

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Nolan Hicks @ndhapple.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Asking for the group: Has the Board of Elections ever attempted to disqualify charter revisions before? I can't remember the machinery even asking previously.

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Nolan Hicks @ndhapple.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

IMO and *not* a lawyer: But this reads to me like the power of crafting the questions is left with the Charter Commission "[T]he charter commission *shall* prescribe the form of the questions to be submitted, which shall be such as clearly to indicate the effect of their approval."

At such election, if a proposed new charter is submitted as a single proposal, there shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the city the question: “Shall the new city charter proposed by the city charter commission be adopted?” The charter commission may, however, require that its proposed charter be submitted in two or more parts so arranged that corresponding parts of the existing charter shall remain in effect if one or more of such parts are not adopted, or may in lieu of a new charter submit a revision of the existing charter in one or more amendments and may also submit alternative charters or amendments or alternative provisions to supersede designated portions of a proposed charter or amendment if adopted. In such case the charter commission shall prescribe the form of the questions to be submitted, which shall be such as clearly to indicate the effect of their approval.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Open New York @opennewyork.org · 04/09/2025

It’s not just Republicans in Washington and Texas who are undermining our democracy—it’s happening right here in NYC. Tell the Board of Elections to do their job, follow the law, and let New Yorkers decide our housing future: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

docs.google.com

Stop the BOE from Silencing Voters on Housing!

🚨Stop the BOE from Silencing Voters on Housing🚨 The Republican commissioners on the NYC Board of Elections, joined by disgraced former Democratic boss Frank Seddio—once called the “King of Corruption”...

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

What if there were a way for communities to provide input by electing people whose job it was to make these decisions?

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

The 14th Street Busway has been a smashing success: faster commutes, fewer crashes, calmer streets. So why is Eric Adams blocking a similar plan for 34th Street?

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Andrew Stern @astern.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

This video is amazing but the buried lede is that Zohran is unabashedly pro-tourism (as all mayors should be!)

Still image of Zohran from the video, standing on 34th St. Text (addressed to tourists) reads “We love you, please keep coming to visit New York City.”

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

The Last Mile with USAID @thelastmilewithusaid.substack.com · 05/07/2025

USAID didn’t fail. It fed 127,000 kids—then was erased mid-crisis. No speech. No tribute. Just silence. They didn’t end a program. They liquidated a covenant. The last American promise not built on conquest—but care. 🔗 thelastmilewithusaid.substack.com

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Open New York @opennewyork.org · 20/05/2025

Chris Marte was the only council member from Manhattan to vote against City of Yes, which would unlock new affordable homes across NYC. He’s blocked more than a thousand homes and opposed affordable senior housing on Elizabeth Street, falsely claiming it would cause gentrification.

Headline from Hell Gate:

It's YIMBY vs. NIMBY in Lower Manhattan's City Council Race
Incumbent Christopher Marte's anti-development positions have earned him some loyal fans—as well as challengers from the pro-growth movement within the Democratic Party.

Erin Durkin
May 20, 2025

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rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

the NY Dems intentionally threw the House by prioritizing safe seats over maximizing the number of Democratic seats. their legislative delegation is in charge of both the House and Senate Dems.

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

Chris Sommerfeldt @c-sommerfeldt.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

New: Randy Mastro, Mayor Adams’ top aide, is seriously exploring a proposal to spare Manhattan’s Elizabeth St. Garden from an affordable housing development by instead building the apartments on a nearby lot once reserved for a public school, per sources. www.nydailynews.com/2025/05/13/a...

nydailynews.com

Amid bid to save Elizabeth St. Garden, Adams aide Randy Mastro finds a plan “B” for housing

Randy Mastro, Mayor Adams’ top deputy at City Hall, is seriously exploring a proposal to spare Manhattan’s Elizabeth Street Garden from an affordable housing development by instead buil…

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

This 1/8 of a square mile (80 acres) currently has 6,285 apartments under construction, in five towers over 500 feet and 5 more over 300 feet. An eleventh tower with another 432 apartments has piles being driven. Is there anything like this anywhere else in the US?

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Open New York @opennewyork.org · 07/04/2025

THREAD: Today, we’re proud to announce our 2025 endorsements for New York City Council. This slate of 12 housing champions—twice as many as last cycle—will be supported by our grassroots members and over half a million dollars from our IE @abundantny.bsky.social

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Second Ave. Sagas @2avesag.as · 25/03/2025

He signed the filing. This is such a joke.

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Transportation Alternatives @transalt.org · 25/03/2025

Why is NYC's first deputy mayor representing New Jersey? Randy Mastro wants New York to have more traffic. He wants New Yorkers to have longer commutes. He wants to starve our transit system of funding.

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Sam @samd.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

this is actually absurd: Randy Mastro, the new first deputy mayor of NYC for Eric Adams is still representing New Jersey’s anti-congestion pricing lawsuit on the side. this is the ultimate conflict of interest

Additionally, some courts consider whether the stay would simplify the issues and how far the lawsuit to be stayed has progressed. See Akishev v. Kapustin, 23 F. Supp. 3d 440, 446 (D.N.J. 2014). As discussed above, MTA v. Duffy concerns unrelated claims and thus could not possibly simplify any of the pertinent issues here. Moreover, while this case is nearly concluded, MTA v. Duffy is in its infancy.
CONCLUSION
For all these reasons, the Court should deny FHWA's Motion to Stay.
Dated: New York, New York
March 24, 2025
By: Ls/ Randy M. Mastro
Randy M. Mastro (NJ Bar No. 011681982)
Craig Carpenito (NJ Bar No. 027102000)
Jessica Benvenisty (pro hac vice)
Lauren Myers (pro hac vice)
Camilla Akbari (pro hac vice)
KING & SPALDING LLP
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
Tel. (212) 556-2100
Peter Hsiao (pro hac vice)
KING & SPALDING LLP
633 West Fifth Street, Suite 1600
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tel. (213) 433-4355
KING & SPALDG ELo hac vice)
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20006-4704
Tel. (202) 737-0500
Attorneys for Plaintiff

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Reposted by Andrew Stern

James Medlock @jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

This is such a key point. Fundamentally to solve the housing crisis we need more redistribution and more housing.

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