We New Yorkers are a loud bunch but, reading the obituary of a man named Herb Sturz, you realize that some of the most impactful of our citizens are our quietest ones. Such is the case of Herb Sturz, who recently passed away at age 90.
He was a lifelong NYC public servant, working in city government and as an advisor to many mayors over the decades. His two big accomplishments were very different but have changed the face of the city we live in today. As head of the city's planning commission in the 1980s he plotted the transformation of Times Square from a palace of a sin into a family playground. But in his later years he was a strong advocate for criminal justice reform -- pushing hard to end "stop and frisk" and closing Riker's Island. He did a great deal of empirical research about the problem facing New Yorkers and developed policies to address them. He didn't seek fame or glory -- just results, and he got them.
Herb Sturz was a leading citizen of this city and we're all better off because of him. RIP.
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