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Graphic with a soft, blurred background photo of bagels. Large white headline reads: “This week in NYC’s #CivicTech” and “Week 6 of 2026.” A rounded light-blue box lists six bullets: “A reflection on design choices and accessibility,” “ICYMI, NYC School of Data is back for TWO days!,” “Community Board applications close soon,” “A historic update on the NY gubernatorial race,” “Reinvent Albany is hiring!!,” and “Event Alert: Digital Democracy from Below.”

This week in NYC’s #CivicTech – February 5, 2026

Gabby Langston

This deep freeze isn’t ending soon. Staten Island Chuck says we have six more weeks of winter, and across the city, our infrastructure is getting a seasonal stress test.

As a parent of a toddler who shleps a mile to the subway, I’m consistently in awe of the friction baked into our transit system. Most mornings, we head to an L train station with no elevator. Then comes the second insult: fare gates designed without accessibility in mind. It’s mind-boggling that the post-Sandy “L-pocalypse” repairs didn’t result in a more inclusive interface for the MILLIONS who use the system daily.

When the MTA started rolling out modern fare gates, I was optimistic. Finally, a design that prioritizes mobility! But here’s the kicker: this is actually a design competition where two of the systems have AI baked into their operations.

Again, we are literally prioritizing “smart” gates over basic physical access. But the bigger question remains: how do we ensure that innovation and accessibility move forward together?

Out on barely-plowed sidewalks, we’re reminded that pedestrian accessibility is a luxury we’ve been told to take for granted. Julia Métraux recently highlighted how snowstorms can be recently highlighted how snowstorms are hell for wheelchair users—a reality that is a policy choice, not an inevitability. As Angela Fredrick argues in her work on disaster planning, we have to put disability at the center of the blueprint, not the “edge case” pile.

The infrastructure we walk through every day is a choice. But it’s a choice we can influence.

If you have the time and the skills to demand a different version of NYC, I urge you to look into your Community Board. These are the “product reviews” of the real world. Check out last week’s BetaBagels and Gabby’s recap for the download on how to get involved.

Applications close soon.

Samuel J. Cullers, the first Black “professionally trained” urban planner, said: “The main purpose of planning is to see where we are going in terms of where we have been, and then to assist in changing the direction toward where we want to go.”

So, as you head out into the slush today, ask yourself: Where do you want this city to go?

Stay warm and see you next week.

Noel Hidalgo

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What’s New at BetaNYC? 🚀

  • Want to learn more about Community Boards? Last week’s BetaBagels offered a great starting point on how to get involved. Applications close soon!
  • ICYMI, NYC School of Data is back for TWO DAYS this year! To celebrate a decade of community, we’re doubling the fun! Register and get your early bird tickets today. Also, we’re seeking volunteers for both days! 

Upcoming Events with BetaNYC 🎊

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Graphic on a navy-blue background with an orange-and-white megaphone. Large white text reads, “CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.” Below, orange icons and text say: “Apply by March 3” and “schoolofdata.nyc/2026-volunteer.” The bottom includes the BetaNYC and NYC OpenData logos, plus orange badges for “NYC School of Data 2026” and “UnSchool of Data 2026.”

Election Corner 2026 🗳️

  • New York gubernatorial race update: Governor Kathy Hochul has selected former NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate, marking the first all-woman slate for governor and lieutenant governor in New York state history.
  • A direct channel to report federal actions: The Office of the New York State Attorney General Letitia James has a Federal Action Reporting Form to submit information.
  • Pre-K, LinkNYC and political questions: City & State looks at Mayor Mamdani’s pre-K ads on LinkNYC kiosks, and explains why it’s allowed. You’ll also want to check out this recaps Zack Weiner using LinkNYC as part of their City Council campaign.
  • Snow fashion storyline: Coverage of Mayor Mamdani’s custom Carhartt jacket caused a political/media swirl during a major snow moment. (Paywall)
  • Budget gap alarm bell: Comptroller Mark Levine calls the city’s projected gap “staggering” and argues it’s more serious than past shortfalls, while other watchdogs peg lower estimates.
  • New Executive Order for NYC: NYC’s Executive Order 12 creates Agency Chief Savings Officers tasked with finding recurring, baseline budget savings by streamlining operations and reprioritizing spending toward top city priorities.

This Week’s Media Watchlist 🎥

  • A forgotten trailblazer of gender and equality: Literary Hub profiles the Universal Friend, America’s first nonbinary minister, and how their communities pursued equality in the early United States.
  • A doctor’s-eye view of democracy: Alister Martin has a new Substack series, Building A Healthier Democracy, which ties ER realities to broken policies and what it takes to fix systems that fail patients.
  • Open government takes a hit: E Pluribus Unum takes deep dive on the U.S. withdrawing from the Open Government Partnership, framed as part of a broader shift toward opacity and away from democratic transparency norms.
  • Population change meets affordability pressure: THE CITY highlights slowing/stagnant population growth last year and points to cost of living as a key factor. 
  • A Community Board member demystifies the process: Tal Roded has a riveting four-part guide that demystifies Community Boards and encourages people to apply to their boards.
  • Subway, data art, and a new kind of gallery: Data Vandals is opening a data art gallery in the NYC subway at 51st street and Lexington Avenue!
  • Put your name on a spacecraft! NASA is asking the public to submit names to fly on Artemis II, taking place this spring.

Artificial Intelligence Roundup 🤖

  • Keeping AI out of news: New York lawmakers announced a new proposal, the NY FAIR News Act, pushing disclosure rules and limits on replacing journalists with AI.
  • No “killer AI app”: Cities are moving cautiously on AI, focusing on governance, privacy, and real resident value rather than flashy deployments.

Data Privacy Watch 🔐

  • Surveillance tech meets immigration enforcement: Facial recognition and related tools are being used in an ICE crackdown, raising concerns about tracking not only immigrants but also people protesting ICE activity. (Paywall) 

Jobs Alert and Announcements 💼 

Upcoming Events 📅

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