WXY presents model for innovative community-based planning

Manhattan, NY The planning and design firm WXY architecture + urban design has unveiled the results of an innovative, community-based planning process giving voice to the residents of the East Harlem neighborhood and galvanizing local opinions on a broad redevelopment plan. Working with community residents, local officials and nonprofit groups, the planning and design firm WXY, led by principal Adam Lubinsky, has developed the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan, a new community-based blueprint for this dynamic and culturally rich area of NYC.

The speaker of the NYC council, Melissa Mark-Viverito, hailed the results of the unique and effective planning process. “The East Harlem Neighborhood Plan is the product of ten months of robust discussion, where we together identified how to leverage development opportunities to bring much-needed public benefits and investment to our community.”

According to WXY, in 2015, East Harlem was announced as a neighborhood for possible rezoning in an effort to create new affordable housing. In part to prevent the displacement of existing residents and small businesses – as well as identify new opportunities for density and enhanced community resources – WXY created a robust neighborhood planning process in partnership with nonprofit community design firm Hester Street Collaborative and a set of project partners convened by Mark-Viverito. The partners included the advocacy organization Community Voices Heard, the Manhattan Community Board 11, and the Manhattan borough president’s office.

The 10-month process evolved through a series of large public meetings, which averaged almost 180 people per session. WXY also facilitated dozens of stakeholder group and agency discussions, helping solidify objectives and recommendations for the new blueprint, the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan.

As a result – and for the first time ever – a neighborhood has come together on its own initiative and prior to an official mayoral announcement of district rezoning, to create “a roadmap for future success that prioritizes the needs of existing residents, in addition to preparing for anticipated development and growth,” according to the participants, which included Manhattan borough president Gale Brewer.

“This kind of community-based collaboration will help maintain the unique character and dynamism of East Harlem, and it sets a new standard for future neighborhood and regional planning initiatives,” said Lubinsky. “The input from East Harlem residents and organizations in their community planning process has been inspiring to behold, and our firm is excited to have played a role in facilitating this groundbreaking work.”

According to Lubinsky, East Harlem stakeholders recognized that through engagement and organization, utilizing a community-driven process, “We could develop a plan for the neighborhood’s future that would place the needs of the community front and center,” as stated in the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan. (available at www.EastHarlemPlan.nyc).

To guide the process, the groups formed an East Harlem Neighborhood Plan Steering Committee that engaged local stakeholders to craft a plan identifying broad community development goals and specific needs.

With deep expertise in community-based planning and design projects, WXY has been praised by local leaders as well as community groups and individuals for its work in facilitating the process. The process included eight large meetings with an average of about 180 people per session. The WXY project team also helped to facilitate approximately 40 stakeholder and agency meetings to develop the objectives and recommendations around 12 key themes. In addition, several informal meetings were used to gather additional feedback and information on key ideas being discussed.

“Zoning and development better fit our neighborhoods’ needs when driven by input, deliberation, and discussion among neighborhood residents and community stakeholders,” said the Borough President Brewer.

WXY is a known as a recognized leader in both community-based planning and “next-generation engagement” approaches. Recent work focused on community empowerment by WXY has included projects as varied as school district reassignments; affordable housing plans for the county of Westchester, N.Y.; new park systems including the Brooklyn Strand and the elevated QueensWay; waterfront revitalization efforts such as the Rockaway Beach Dune Walk and the East River Blueway; and more.

“Cities and towns face an ever-increasing roster of complex issues competitive and diverse world, such as affordability, economic vitality, social cohesion and climate change,” according to WXY. “These issues are often further compounded by growing income inequality and shrinking public investment. As more people choose to live in cities, the need to engage the public in -conversations around development and the public realm becomes increasingly acute.”