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GOWANUS CANAL – BROOKLYN, NY

Bringing Community into Community Planning Giving the public a say in our city’s future Michael Czaczkes . GOWANUS CANAL – BROOKLYN, NY. The Problem. HUDSON YARDS - MANHATTAN. New York City residents are given limited opportunity to provide input in the way their communities are planned.

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GOWANUS CANAL – BROOKLYN, NY

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  1. Bringing Community into Community Planning Giving the public a say in our city’s futureMichael Czaczkes GOWANUS CANAL – BROOKLYN, NY

  2. The Problem HUDSON YARDS - MANHATTAN New York City residents are given limited opportunity to provide input in the way their communities are planned.

  3. The question? • How can the City of New York increase the opportunities for public participation in the community planning process by using technology?

  4. How are planning decisions CURRENTLY made? • NYC City Charter requires that certain actions, such as zoning changes, be reviewed by the City Planning Commission which then conducts a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) • This is how 125th Street in Harlem and 4th Avenue in Brooklyn were rezoned • Parts of ULURP include public review • Public review in ULURP includes public hearings • The public is encouraged to participate in these hearings by testifying in person or submitting written testimony. The public may also lobby their elected officials.

  5. Why it matters? • Every NYC resident is affected, in some way, by the decisions ULURP makes • Yet, while there are no studies that show the rate of public participation in the ULURP process, if one were to use the rate at which New York City residents vote, one could presume participation in ULURP is low. • 24% of registered voters participated in the 2013 municipal elections, beating the record low of 28% in 2009.

  6. The Gap – why is no one participating? Public participation rate in ULURP is low because it is not easy to attend a hearing in person or draft formal testimony. The public is not confident their voice will have an impact and thus they do not participate.

  7. The Fix All public hearings televised and residents will be allowed to teleconference in utilizing technology like Google Hangouts to provide testimony. Testimony accepted through comments posted on Facebook and Twitter. All of this new testimony will be made part of the public record. Interactive website where residents are allowed to comment, propose changes or alternative uses for a project going through the ULURP process. Analysis will be conducted to determine what the level of participation was by the public.

  8. ThePlayers

  9. What’s the Goal? 575 5th Avenue in Brooklyn - municipal parking lot turned into 48 units of supportive housing for low income adults. Reinvent the public planning process in NYC to allow for easier access to participation and more opportunities for engagement

  10. When? Study by Community Services Society this year showed that the city lost 40% of apartments for low income residents over the last decade. To battle this trend, action must be taken now. With a new city administration including a new Mayor, City Council Speaker and City Planning Director now is the time to reform the community planning process. Creation of a pilot program can begin immediately and does not require approval from NYC Council

  11. Bridging Gowanus Meeting Photo credit: Pardon Me For Asking, Katia Kelly

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