S7E7: “Public Space is the Secret Sauce” — Reimagining Fifth Avenue, 26 Blocks in Jackson Heights, and the Fight for a Culture of Yes with Ya-Ting Liu, New York City’s First Chief Public Realm Officer

Ya-Ting Liu became New York City's first-ever Chief Public Realm Officer in 2023 — a role created from scratch to focus City Hall's attention on the parks, plazas, streets, and sidewalks that make a dense city livable. Recorded inside NYC City Hall in November 2025, just after Zohran Mamdani's election as New York's next mayor but before his inauguration, this conversation traces how the job came to exist, why the Fifth Avenue redesign won't break ground until 2028 ("utility spaghetti" is the answer), and how 26 blocks of Jackson Heights became Paseo Park — one of the most ambitious community-led open streets anywhere in the world. We also talk about finding the "public realm Avengers" inside government, why "1% for Parks" isn't a rallying cry most New Yorkers can picture, and Ya-Ting's three favorite public spaces in the city (spoiler: one is under the Brooklyn Bridge). Since this recording, Ya-Ting has joined NYU Tandon as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy in the Office of the Dean.