Last Wednesday, more than 300 community board members, land use professionals, and others concerned with development in New York City gathered at Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts for Land Use and Local Voices: Is the City’s Land Use Process in Need of Reform?, a conference co-sponsored by MAS and Manhattan Community Board 1.

MAS President Vin Cipolla opened the day by posing a series of questions that the three panels and keynote interview addressed, “How does New York City build?  How do the city’s neighbors shape their communities?  What, exactly, is distinct about the way New York City plans its neighborhoods and development?…What changes do we want to see?  What are the consequences of those changes?  What mechanisms are already in place to address shortcomings in the land use process, and are they working?” He continued, “As you can probably tell, today’s program is likely to provide more questions than answers, and that’s ok.  MAS, and others, are going to continue to work on these issues until we are that much closer to solving them.”

The conference’s triad of panels brought together some of New York City’s, and the country’s, leading voices on land use issues, and provoked interesting discussions among the panelists and the audience. Continue Reading>>

The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) is updating its Comprehensive Waterfront Plan and is looking for public input in creating a framework that will guide land use decisions along the city’s shoreline. DCP has committed itself to extensive public involvement to identify the goals and issues to be addressed by the Plan, and this Thursday, April 8, at 6:00 – 8:30 p.m., is the first public meeting in this year-long visioning process of public consultation.

The Plan has the potential to profoundly transform New York City’s waterfront, and MAS encourages waterfront enthusiasts and members of the public alike to take this opportunity to offer their input to help set the direction for the future of what is, perhaps, our city’s greatest natural resource.

The meeting will be held at: Murray Bergtraum High School, 411 Pearl Street, Manhattan [MAP], and in the coming months, borough-specific meetings will be held to identify opportunities for each waterfront neighborhood. If you are unable to attend the meeting, but would still like to submit your ideas and comments to DCP, click here to open an online form.

The ULURP clock for the Coney Island rezoning proposal is ticking. The City certified the zoning proposal in January, and from May until later this month, the City Planning Commission is conducting its review of the proposal. The Commission is likely to vote on the project very soon, after which the proposal will go to the City Council who must vote on the plan by mid-August.

MAS testified last month at the City Planning Commission’s public hearing, and shortly after we submitted detailed recommendations for the future of Coney Island. MAS strongly supports the city’s goal of revitalizing Coney Island. We also strongly support the city’s efforts to acquire land to create a publicly-owned open-air amusement park, based on an extensive economic study by real estate advisory firm RCLCo commissioned by MAS that concluded that this was the best way to ensure amusements in perpetuity. Continue Reading>>

Far Rockaway, Queens consists of two square miles of barrier island just across the bay from JFK Airport and just west of the Nassau County line. Its population is diverse, including a large Orthodox Jewish community, and immigrants from Russia, Jamaica, Guyana, and Guatemala. While there are some upscale areas, particularly near the Long Island border, a large percentage of residents live in public or rent-regulated housing. The area has been hit hard recently by a double-whammy: a wave of foreclosures due to the ongoing mortgage crisis, and a nearly simultaneous wave of new, often luxury, development.

Jeanne DuPont was inspired to start the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA) when she saw that much of that new development was proceeding with little regard for current residents. Continue Reading>>

The Department of City Planning is holding a hearing today about its proposal to rezone 25 blocks along the Gowanus Canal to allow for a mix of uses, including residential, commercial, retail, light industrial, community facility and artist spaces.

MAS believes that existing businesses in this thriving manufacturing district should be nurtured and safeguarded, and that the rezoning presents a tremendous opportunity to create space for new industries and jobs. We are concerned that, given the area’s industrial past and present, and the lack of adequate sewage and storm-water infrastructure, new residential development may not be the best solution for the Gowanus neighborhood. Read our full statement here.

The video above is also available as a podcast below, and through iTunes.

 Meet Gowanus Business Owners Potentially Threatened by Rezoning: Play Now | Play in Popup

For more information about MAS advocacy on Gowanus, click here.

As the recent economic slowdown gives us the opportunity to take a step back and reevaluate New York City’s planning processes, community-based plans can provide a framework for a future that works for all New Yorkers. The plans featured in this monthly column will provide examples of how inclusive planning processes work on the ground, and ideally will help inspire future community planning efforts.

Sunset Park 197-a Plan
Sunset Park encompasses a large stretch of Brooklyn’s East River waterfront, bordered by the Prospect Expressway to the north, Bay Ridge to the south, and the Gowanus Expressway to the east. The area has served as a maritime hub for over 100 years. The Bush Terminal was established there in 1895, and eventually grew to over 200 acres. Continue Reading>>

A regular new feature, the Community-Based Plan of the Month  highlights plans included in Planning for All New Yorkers: An Atlas of Community-Based Plans in New York City, an interactive map created by the Municipal Art Society and the Community-Based Planning Task Force. As the recent economic slowdown gives us the opportunity to take a step back and reevaluate New York City’s planning processes, community-based plans can provide a framework for growth that works for all New Yorkers. The plan featured here provides an example of how inclusive planning processes work on the ground, and ideally will help inspire future community planning efforts.

Stable-izing Brooklyn
When the Fort Hamilton Parkway interchange of the Prospect Expressway was completed in 1962 under the direction of Robert Moses, a small, eight-block section of Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn was severed from its neighbors.  This quirky area was once home to a number of horse stables due to its proximity to Prospect Park, but now only one remains: Kensington Stables, located at East 8th Street and Caton Avenue.  Since Claremont Riding Academy near Central Park closed last year, Kensington Stables is among New York’s few remaining urban stables. Continue Reading>>

Livable Neighborhoods Program from MAS on Vimeo.

On Saturday May 10th the Municipal Art Society Planning Center will launch the second annual Livable Neighborhoods Program training at Hunter College. The Livable Neighborhoods Program, which first launched last May at Hunter College, was created to provide communities with the knowledge, tools, and training needed to transform local vision into effective plans. Continue Reading>>

The MAS Planning Center is holding a series of forums this spring on the future of community-based planning in New York City. The opening program is titled Elected Officials Respond to Communities That Plan for Themselves, and will be held on Monday, March 24. Click here for more details.

Thursday, January 24, 6:00 p.m., at the Brooklyn College Student Center

Participants will work to finalize the goals and priorities discussed at the last workshop. Refreshments and home work room for school-aged children will be available. If you live in Flatbush, join us! E-mail or call Sideya Sherman on 212-935-3960 to RSVP. More details.

Watch the New Movie

Click on the play icon below to watch a new MAS short movie describing the goals of Imagine Flatbush 2030 and featuring footage of the first of the project’s workshops.

Imagine Flatbush 2030 from MAS on Vimeo.