Five Things Zohran Mamdani Can Do at Very Little Cost To Help Deliver a Successful Administration

Many of Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s best-known plans – free universal child care and fast and free buses – come with a hefty price tag and will require support from Albany to be realized. Here are a few things that Mamdani can do in his first year in office that will cost little or nothing and that he can take the lead in enacting. 

-Focus on city parks. During his first term (1934-1937) Fiorello La Guardia’s Parks Commissioner Robert Moses built or renovated parks across the five boroughs. In the summer of 1936, LGA celebrated the opening of eleven WPA outdoor swimming pools. New Deal funding, of course, sustained these extremely popular initiatives. While Mamdani may not have the money to pay for massive improvements in the city’s current parks, the volunteer army that propelled Zohran’s victory certainly can help spiff them up. 

-Pay attention to office optics. The Blaz showed up late. Eric carried on until the break of dawn. The latter rarely seemed to be at his desk. Yes, ribbon-cuttings and community events are important. But so are spread sheets and memos from commissioners. There is no shortage of photos of LGA surrounded by paperwork. It’s possible to create that same impression, 21^st-century style, with only a laptop and a few colorful folders. 

-Close the door to consultants. On the campaign trail, Zohran criticized the city’s reliance on McKinsey, the powerhouse management consulting firm retained frequently since the Bloomberg era. Meanwhile, Gotham’s hornets’ nest of political consultants created major headaches for the Blaz, who didn’t want to disclose his communications with external advisers, leading to the “agents of the city” controversy. One of those agents, Patrick Gaspard, has now been frequently advising Mamdani to make moves that placate the establishment. Everybody in New York City politics has an agenda. 

-Reorient the city’s past. Removing Columbus and Stuyvesant as place and street names may be politically perilous, but expanding public understanding of their legacies seems wise. And there are many lesser figures who clearly deserve no honors. For example, consider Joseph Murray and John Chambers, two prosecutors who railroaded slaves to execution in response to the uprising of 1741. The streets that surround City Hall should commemorate people who have done better things.  A. Philip Randolph is a good candidate. 

-Host more free concerts. Free summer music events used to be one of the best things about the city in the summer. In recent years, both SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn! have featured many more ticketed shows, usually in conjunction with Live Nation (a monopolistic entity that Mamdani’s pal Lina Khan has long targeted). Maybe 2026 will see a World Cup of free music across the city, hosted by…Mayor Cardamom. 

The updated edition of Ted Hamm’s Run Zohran Run! will be available in early 2026.