Episode 24: Mitchell Silver ”The People‘s Commissioner” on running, diversifying outdoor spaces, and never buying his wife flowers

Mitchell Silver’s drive and determination is the kind of story that inspires generations. The kid from Brooklyn who dropped out of high school after just two years, made his way back to earn degrees in architecture and urban planning, the first black president of the American Planning Association to then become New York City Parks Commissioner. His road had many turns and valleys, and deeply marked by the his mother's death at a young age, and the death of his brother and best friend Sam as an adult. His legacy as a runner and Parks and Recreations Commissioner will be felt for generations to come. His goal at the helm of the agency was to make public spaces more equitable. His decision to rename the Central Park loop after Ted Corbitt, the co-founder of New York Road Runners and its first and only black president is one of the many outdoor spaces he renamed under his tenure. Silver is training for the Chicago and New York City marathons in 2021, and memories of running with Harlem Run and the diverse NYC running community is what keeps him going.