Mayor Adams Paints a Vision for a Safer, More Livable, and Sustainable New York City
New York, NY – Mayor Eric Adams delivered his third State of the City address at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, outlining an ambitious vision for working-class New Yorkers. With New York City emerging stronger from the challenges of the pandemic and the asylum seeker humanitarian crisis, Mayor Adams emphasized the need to continue delivering for New Yorkers across his priority areas: public safety, economic recovery, and improving the city’s livability.
Enhancing Public Safety
Mayor Adams reiterated his commitment to making New York City the safest big city in the country, announcing a series of initiatives to address public safety concerns.
Department of Sustainable Delivery
To address the rise of e-bikes, mopeds, and other non-traditional transportation modes, the city is considering creating a “Department of Sustainable Delivery.” This first-of-its-kind regulatory entity will establish clear goals and guidelines for the future of delivery in New York City, consolidating work currently spread across multiple agencies.
Internal Discipline Overhaul
The NYPD will reform its internal discipline process to halve the time it takes to resolve internal cases. This will be achieved by eliminating redundancies, setting strict timelines, and allowing cases to proceed concurrently with criminal proceedings.
Combating Illegal Smoke Shops
Mayor Adams reiterated his call for legislation in Albany to grant New York City the authority to shut down illegal smoke shops that proliferate across the city.
Addressing Social Media’s Impact on Mental Health
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan issued a Health Commissioner’s Advisory identifying unfettered access to and use of social media as a public health hazard, similar to tobacco and firearms.
Building a Forward-Looking Economy
Mayor Adams outlined a comprehensive plan to build a forward-looking economy that works for all New Yorkers.
Green Economy Action Plan
The Adams administration will unveil its “Green Economy Action Plan” to harness the economic potential of reducing emissions and building a more sustainable city. The plan aims to support 400,000 green economy jobs in New York City by 2040.
Climate Innovation Hub
As part of the Green Economy Action Plan, NYCEDC will invest $100 million to create the “Climate Innovation Hub” at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. This new hub will serve as a home for clean tech innovation and manufacturing, encouraging climate innovation startups.
Women Forward NYC
The city will release “Women Forward NYC,” a $40 million action plan to make New York City a better place for women to live, work, and thrive. The plan will include funding for career pathways, financial literacy, and dismantling barriers to work and education. It will also address sexual, chronic, and reproductive health; reduce Black and Brown maternal mortality rates; and enhance mental health education and outreach.
Medical Debt Forgiveness
Building on the recent announcement of $2 billion in medical debt forgiveness for approximately 500,000 working-class New Yorkers, the city will embed additional financial counselors in New York City hospitals to help New Yorkers avoid medical debt in the first place.
Affordable Housing
The Adams administration will launch “24 in 24,” a plan to advance 24 affordable housing projects on public sites in 2024, ultimately creating or preserving over 12,000 units of housing.
Tenant Protection Cabinet
A Tenant Protection Cabinet will be created, bringing together more than a dozen agencies and mayoral offices focused on supporting tenants. The cabinet will seek coordination and efficiency across departments, leverage resources, and shape current and future services to better protect tenants and keep New Yorkers in their homes.
Reopening NYCHA Section 8 Voucher Waitlist
For the first time in 15 years, the NYCHA Section 8 voucher waitlist will reopen later this year, aiming to issue 1,000 vouchers per month.
Making the City More Livable for All New Yorkers
Mayor Adams announced a series of initiatives to make New York City a more livable and sustainable city for all its residents.
New York City Reads Expansion
Starting this school year, New York City Reads’ phonics-based methods and the science of reading will be brought to every early childhood and elementary school student in the city’s public schools.
Mayoral Accountability for Public Schools
Mayor Adams will continue to advocate for four years of mayoral accountability over New York City public schools, which Governor Hochul announced her support for in both her State of the State and Executive Budget addresses.
Creating New Public Spaces
The city will invest $375 million in creating new, vibrant public spaces, continuing the efforts to transform sidewalks and roadways into better, cleaner, and more accessible café spaces.
Clean Streets and Rat Reduction
The city’s efforts to containize trash and reduce the rat population will continue, with a goal of getting every single black trash bag off New York City streets.
Building and Refurbishing Skate Parks
In partnership with Tony Hawk, The Skatepark Project, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and members of the New York City Council, the city will build and refurbish four major skate parks in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Kimlau Plaza Transformation
The city will invest $55 million, in partnership with New York State, to transform Kimlau Plaza in Chinatown, redesigning a chaotic intersection and giving the area a new entrance.
Climate Action
Mayor Adams will break ground on the Battery Coastal Resiliency initiative, a critical component of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency project. Additionally, the city will invest $450 million in federal resiliency grants to make New York City more resilient in the face of climate change.
Mayor Adams concluded his address by calling for unity and collaboration in making New York City a better place for all its residents. He emphasized that New York City is the safest big city in the country, with crime down in five of the seven major crime categories in 2023. He also highlighted significant economic progress, with more than 270,000 private-sector jobs and 44,000 businesses created since he took office.
As New York City continues to recover and rebuild, Mayor Adams’ vision for a safer, more livable, and sustainable city provides a roadmap for the future. By working together, New Yorkers can create a city where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.