Having easy access to data and maps is critical to public participation in planning. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of community advocates and community boards around the city, more data than ever before is available on-line to assist in neighborhood-level decision-making. Property-level information on zoning and ownership, Department of Buildings data on permits and violations, district-level data on 311 complaints and health statistics, and Census Bureau demographic information are but a few of the resources available. You can access all of this information and more at  www.myciti.org.

Empowering communities with planning tools and technology is a core part of the work of the MAS Planning Center. The MyCITI initiative began as a demonstration of the utility of publicly-accessible GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data as a tool for community participation in local planning. Made possible through a partnership between the City of New York and the Municipal Art Society, www.myciti.org now provides direct access to PLUTO’s detailed property information including zoning, ownership, land use and lot dimensions.

The Planning Center provides training and technical assistance to community-based organizations, community boards, and individuals seeking to better understand this rich mapping resource that is now an integral part of the City of New York’s on-line infrastructure. Contact the Planning Center for information on our next training.