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New York City Planning Commissioner, Amanda Burden

November 19, 2012
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Amanda Burden might be the most influential figure in New York City government, after Mayor Michael Bloomberg. As New York City Planning Commissioner for the past decade, she has spearheaded efforts to re-zone a huge swath of New York and reclaim its waterfront. While Burden focuses on those grand ambitions, she is also dedicated to details that make "streetscapes" work. Her supporters call her a visionary who will leave behind a much-improved city. But critics worry she’s creating gentrified neighborhoods that no longer welcome the working class. Diane talks with Amanda Burden about her role as the city’s planning commissioner and lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy.

Photo Gallery: Planning New York City's Streetscape

Images courtesy of the New York City Department of Planning. All rights reserved.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'

Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.

Food

NPR

'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes

Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.

Politics

NPR

Highly Charged IRS Case Pulls In Political Agendas

NPR's Peter Overby reports on the Congressional testimony of IRS officials in response to the scandal over special scrutiny of tea party groups. Underneath all the politics, there's a policy question that hasn't been addressed.

Technology

NPR

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

Also: AARP and The Nation join a growing list of ebook publishers; Hilary Mantel on Jane Austen; Anne Applebaum on Sheryl Sandberg.

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