Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek Writer, speaker and social entrepreneur, Aaron Naparstek is best known as founder and leader of Streetsblog, a breakthrough web site providing daily coverage of key transportation, land use and environmental issues – initially in New York City, but now in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington as well.

Since its launch in June 2006, Streetsblog has played a major role in transforming New York’s City transportation policy and the fostering of a nationwide “Livable Streets” movement dedicated to reclaiming the American city from the automobile domination, in the process improving conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users.  The lead planning site Planetizen calls Streetsblog “the envy of transportation advocates” and “a must read for anyone interested in creating sustainable transportation policies.” New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadie-khan has called Streetsblog as “the gold standard in Internet advocacy and education for sustainable transportation — the 21st century public interest voice for the 21st century transportation system that we all need.” Streetsblog is published by the non-profit Open Planning Project where Naparstek is also a member of the board.

Before launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as a journalist, interactive media producer and community activist. He is author of Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage, a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the unique brand of motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. As a community activist and organizer, his advocacy work has been instrumental in growing New York City’s bike network, eliminating motor vehicle traffic from city parks, and developing traffic-calming, car-free streets and public plazas.

Prior to his involvement in New York City transportation policy and advocacy, Naparstek worked for six years as an independent interactive media producer, designing and developing original content, e-commerce and live webcast products for major corporations, start-ups, non-profits and Internet-oriented venture capital firms. Favorite projects included building and running a computer lab and Internet-based conflict resolution curriculum for the Seeds of Peace international summer camp, and DesktopSpa, an online service delivering yoga, meditation and other media-based complementary healthcare interventions via the Internet that he developed in collaboration with his mother, Belleruth Naparstek, the noted psychotherapist, author and producer of the Health Journeys line of guided imagery audio programs.

Naparstek, a masters degree graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group in Brooklyn.

Last updated February 16, 2010