It was more than just urban design, but
behold -- Norman Mailer and Jimmy Breslin's plan for a *new* New York.
Oh god, that was bigger than expected.
Anyways, when Norman Mailer ran for Mayor of New York in 1969 (on the first all-curmudgeonly-author ticket), his platform was called "New York City: The 51st State". It would have involved a drastic change in the infrastructure of New York:
New York City would be split off from the rest of New York State, and achieve independent statehood as the 51st State of the U.S.
A casino would be built on either
Randall's Island,
Roosevelt Island, or
Coney Island, with tax revenues going directly to the City-State.
All private cars would be banned from Manhattan Island. Buses and taxicabs would be permitted, with the number of cabs increased. Parking lots would be built outside Manhattan at strategic locations. A monorail, built around the circumference of Manhattan, would service these lots, stopping also at rail stations and water ferry terminals. A free bus and jitney service would operate in
Midtown, the city's most congested area. Publicly owned bicycles would be available to all at no cost.
One Sunday per month would be designated "Sweet Sunday," when every form of mechanical transportation – including elevators – would be halted.
And that's just some of it.
He only got 5% of the primary vote, but imagine if, IDK, he hadn't stabbed his wife multiple times a few years earlier. Ah, what could have been for want of a penknife.