For Immediate Release
October 23, 2018
Contacts:
Rachaele Raynoff, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471
Sessions come as boards call for training and tools to better advocate for communities
Oct. 23, 2018 – Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago today released photographs highlighting the start of a series of annual workshops aimed at ensuring Community Board members are aware of resources available to them through DCP, and that the agency is here to assist them as they make the important land use, planning and budgeting decisions they are tasked with under the City Charter.
In addition to the training session in Queens, meetings will be held in the coming months and year for community board members in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island. Some of the trainings are aimed at newer board members, others are for veteran land use committee members and district managers.
“New York’s Community Boards are the backbone of the City’s land use review process. They play an indispensable role in giving voice to the many, diverse points of view in our neighborhoods, and that the City Administration is attuned to on-the-ground, neighborhood-specific needs and concerns. We see these DCP-Community Board sessions as an opportunity to further strengthen the flow of information among Community Boards, neighborhood residents and DCP. I hope that the Community Board members who attended our first three sessions found the information shared to be useful, and that they will urge other members of their Community Boards to attend future, borough-based training sessions,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago.
The sessions are the first of a recurring series of annual training events DCP will host in the years to come.
Questions from community board members to DCP staff at the three events focused on a variety of topics, including the need for affordable housing and information about how local community members can get involved in efforts to ensure a full count for the 2020 Census in New York City.
At the October 11 presentation in Queens Borough Hall, DCP’s borough staff offered in-depth breakout sessions on three fundamental topics:
During the sessions held at DCP headquarters, staff presented an overview of DCP’s planning mission and organization, and also information about newly streamlined procedures and forms for Community District Needs & Budget Requests, which are due Oct. 31.
Staff members also gave live demonstrations of DCP interactive data tools and resources.
Other commonly used tools that will be presented at future training sessions include: