NEW EPISODE OF NYC DOT’S CURB ENTHUSIASM PODCAST FEATURES DISCUSSION WITH NYU SOCIOLOGIST AND AUTHOR ERIC KLINENBERG
Editor’s note: We’ve covered DOT’s podcast Curb Enthusiasm several times in the past, as well as some of the most popular sign drops, including the Beastie Boys and comics legend Stan Lee.
Klinenberg is a Professor of Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University and Author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life
Klinenberg Discusses Social Infrastructure, the Role Public Spaces Play in Building Stronger Communities, and the Importance of Maintaining Infrastructure and Investing in Public Space, Particularly in Underserved Communities
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the release of the 14th episode of the agency’s Curb Enthusiasm podcast. The episode features author and New York University Social Science Professor Eric Klinenberg, who serves as director of the school’s Institute for Public Knowledge. Klinenberg is the author of several books, including Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life. This episode’s conversation focuses on Klinenberg’s concept of social infrastructure, the importance of public spaces in developing and strengthening communities, how public transit provides a real-life civics lesson, and why cities should invest in public space.
“This episode features an engaging conversation with Professor Eric Klinenberg on the importance of building social infrastructure to strengthen communities,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “The discussion focuses on many key topics ranging from the civic lessons of riding public transportation to the importance of maintaining streets and sidewalks in communities, to the impact DOT’s 34th Avenue Open Street had on community bonding in Jackson Heights.”
Discussing types of social infrastructure, Klinenberg talks about how riding public transit takes people out of their comfort zones and puts them in contact with people with all types of differences, forcing them to co-exist in a peaceful way, while being tolerant and understanding of others. He also notes that sidewalks, streets, and playgrounds are other examples of physical places that shape our capacity to interact, and that investing in them and maintaining them delivers many returns for communities and builds resilience. Klinenberg says neglecting these leads to people retreating to their screens and private spaces, ultimately weakening the community and at times leading to devastating consequences, such as when the communities with the fewest infrastructure and public space amenities suffered the worst during the catastrophic Chicago heatwave in July 1995.
He also discusses the benefits of static – rather than transient – infrastructure and how it allows people to feel like they are part of something bigger in the community sense. He also underscores the need to work on not only community bonding, but also bridging to provide a connective tissue to connect people with different backgrounds and to promote social integration. Klinenberg also acknowledges how the Covid-era launch of NYC DOT’s 34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson Heights led the community to bond together in one of the densest parts of the city, if not the country.
Klinenberg also notes that communities often need to compete and advocate for themselves to be heard in a city of very powerful people and entities. He also discusses the uneven system of how good social infrastructure is often restricted to those with access and wealth, and how spaces not used by the more privileged run the risk of being stigmatized and deemed unsafe, resulting in lack of funding and further deterioration.
The Curb Enthusiasm podcast focuses on issues at the local, national, and international level and features guests who discuss the most consequential transportation work happening all over the globe.
The episode co-hosted by Emily Weidenhof, assistant commissioner of public realm at NYC DOT, and Burkina Morgan, program manager for the agency’s open streets program.
Curb Enthusiasm is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts YouTube, Amazon Music, BuzzSprout and other major streaming platforms. More information is available at nyc.gov/CurbEnthusiasm.
About Eric Klinenberg
Eric Klinenberg is a Professor of Social Science/Sociology and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is the author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life and several other books, including New York Times #1 bestseller Modern Romance, which he co-authored with Aziz Ansari. His scholarly work has been published in journals including the American Sociological Review, Theory and Society, and Ethnography, and he has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and This American Life.
Eric received his bachelor’s degree in history/philosophy from Brown University and both his master’s degree in sociology and doctorate/PhD in sociology from University of California, Berkely.
About Emily Weidenhof, Episode Co-Host
Emily Weidenhof is assistant commissioner of public realm at NYC DOT. Emily works closely with community organizations throughout the five boroughs to transform their streets as public space. For over a decade, she has focused on strengthening communities through the creation of plazas and shared streets and retooling the curb lane for innovative programming. She’s also played an integral role in NYC DOT’s Broadway Vision Plan, which employs a range of tools to reimagine the famed Manhattan corridor from Union Square to Columbus Circle, which now prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists. Emily has worked as an architect and urban designer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, including at the NYC Department of City Planning.
Emily received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from Pennsylvania State University and her master’s degree in architecture and urban design from Columbia University.
About Burkina Morgan, Episode Co-Host
Burkina Morgan serves as the program manager for the NYC Department of Transportation’s Open Streets program, where she oversees community partnerships, program operations, and strategies that strengthen public space access across the five boroughs. She brings a background in community health equity and behavioral change communications, grounding the program’s work in approaches that elevate community voice, and public wellbeing.
Burkina’s experience spans international and local public health initiatives. She has worked with UNICEF, the UK’s National Health Service, and Thrive LDN to design health and wellness focused communication interventions. She has also worked in local government in both New York and New Jersey to define and improve community reinvestment policy, support institutional training, and advance infrastructure priorities.
Born and raised in New York City, Burkina is passionate about the intersection of the built environment, the social environment, and health.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Morgan State University and a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences from New York University.
NYC DOT TO RELEASE SMALL BATCHES OF THE FOUR QUICKEST SELLING ‘SIGN DROPS’ LEADING INTO BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the release of limited batches of the four quickest selling signs since the agency launched its monthly ‘sign drops’ last year. To kick off the holiday shopping season, the signs were released one per day, followed by releases on November 26, November 28, and December 1. This is the first ever multiple-sign sign drop.
“Here’s your sign to begin your holiday shopping,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “As we approach Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we are re-releasing small batches of our fastest-selling signs. These fan favorites will sell out quickly, so act fast while remembering to drive slowly.”
The schedule for NYC DOT Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sign Drops is as follows:
- Tuesday, November 25 – Leaving Brooklyn: Fuhgeddaboudit; First released in April 2025, this sign, which is located at two locations where motorists exit Brooklyn, pays homage to a famous New York City phrase that was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016.
- Wednesday, November 26 – Gay Street; First released in June 2025, the sign honors former stable alley that was widened in the 1830s and would serve as home to many African-American musicians, and would eventually make several appearances in pop culture, particularly in music videos. Gay Street has for years been embraced by the West Village’s LGBTQ+ community and this custom version of the sign features a Pride Flag trim running along the bottom.
- Friday, November 28 – Welcome to Queens: “The World’s Borough”; First released in July 2025, this sign pays tribute to one of the original 12 counties of the Province of New York in 1683 and has since become perhaps the most diverse county in the United States, subsequently earning the nickname “The World’s Borough.” Nearly half its residents are foreign born, more than 100 languages are spoken in the borough, and Queens serves as home to NYC’s two airports. It also hosted the World’s Fair in 1939 and 1964.
- Monday, December 1 – Cornelia Street; First released in August 2024, the Cornelia Street sign drop recognizes Greenwich Village’s prominence in pop music. Cornelia Street is a top destination for visitors given the area’s pop music notoriety. The sign featured in the Cyber Monday drop will be in the historic district, brown design.
A very limited release of 25 signs each will be sold online for $100 each and are available one per customer. Following today’s drop, the remaining three signs will be announced each morning on NYC DOT’s Instagram account. All signs will be sold via the CityStore, the Official Store of the City of New York, and proceeds will benefit the city’s general fund. This signage offers a bit of nostalgia and a literal piece of the city’s infrastructure.
Monthly sign drops from NYC DOT feature signs for iconic New York City streets, commemorations of famous New Yorkers, celebrations of special occasions, and other custom releases. NYC DOT began its monthly drops in June 2024, with the release of Christopher Street/Stonewall Place street signs to commemorate Pride Month.
Other recent sign drops include:
- Rockettes Way
- Bleecker Street
- Mulberry Street
- Hip Hop Boulevard to celebrate the genre’s musical and cultural legacy
- Wall Street
- East 161st Street and Shea Road in honor of baseball’s opening day
- Love Lane to recognize Valentine’s Day
- Broadway in celebration of Broadway Week
About the NYC DOT Sign Shop
The New York City DOT Sign Shop is in Maspeth, Queens and manufactures over 70,000 signs each year. A team of 32 Sign Shop employees hand-make street signs, highway signs, directional signs, parking signs, and more. There are about one million NYC DOT signs in use across the 6,000 miles of streets in New York City.
The monthly sign drops are the latest iteration of sales that have historically been available from the Sign Shop.
About the CityStore
CityStore is the Official store of the City of New York. CityStore is operated by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services. 100% of sales benefit the City of New York.
CityStore is similar to a museum store, which complements the museum by highlighting the treasures within while serving as a stand-alone retail entity for wonderful gifts, collectables and research materials. A museum store is a revenue source for the museum and reinforces and protects the integrity of the museum brand. CityStore is the ‘museum store’ for the entire City of New York.
Banner Image: Limited sign drop. Image Credit – NYC DOT
NYC DOT
The New York City Department of Transportation’s (NYC DOT) mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary customers, City residents.