Pratt Center Project
Democratizing PlanningBuilding Community Capacity to Shape New York City's Housing Plan
Long Island City
Background
Western Queens (Astoria and Long Island City) is currently under consideration for a number of major planning proposals including the Brooklyn Queens Connector Streetcar (BQX), a plan for turning Sunnyside Yard into a massive mixed-use development, and large development and rezoning proposals for city- and privately-owned land on the waterfront. Even before these more recent proposals, the area has been undergoing massive changes largely as a result of previous manufacturing-to-residential/commercial rezonings in 1986, 2001, 2004, and 2008. What was once largely a low-rise, mixed-use area is now home to dozens of high rise residential and office buildings with the vast majority of the new housing being market-rate and thus unaffordable to many.
In response, the Justice for All Coalition, a local group of stakeholders that includes residents of the Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses, has been engaging the broader community in these important rezoning and development issues. The Coalition has been holding training sessions, community forums, and rallies. They are also advocating that: (1) the City plan holistically for the various development proposals that are in the works, and (2) development be done in an equitable way that delivers key community benefits including but not limited to deeply affordable housing, jobs for local residents, and improvements to public housing. The Justice for All Coalition is continuing to broaden its base of allies and put forth and achieve meaningful planning and policy proposals to meet its principles for an equitable development.
Our Role
Pratt Center is serving as the lead technical assistance organization and is providing project management support, in-depth analysis of recent trends and proposed plans, strategy assistance, and the development of a community platform.