Livable Neighborhoods Program

Supporting New Yorkers to become stronger advocates for their neighborhoods

The Livable Neighborhoods Program (LNP) was founded on the principle that community involvement is essential to city planning. Each year, MAS works with a cohort of community advocates—such as organizers, community board members, and other local leaders—to help them develop the knowledge and tools needed to participate effectively in public review processes around land use issues, like rezonings. Sessions range from exploring how planning decisions are made in New York City to supporting local advocacy and civic participation.

Photos from the 2024 LNP Kick-Off event at Morgan North

2024 Program

As part of LNP 2024, MAS seeks applications from community members interested in learning about new tools and resources that provide important information about land use planning and development in their neighborhoods. This program may be particularly useful for individuals or group representatives interested in participating in the public review processes, such as developing a community plan or learning about a City-led rezoning.

The LNP 2024 curriculum will consist of a series of virtual workshops and in-person events, combining self-guided study with practical activities, and providing opportunity for discussion with MAS staff and outside experts. By participating in LNP, you will join a network of community leaders learning from each other’s lived experiences and hopefully staying connected beyond the program.

In response to high demand and to enable broader participation, the LNP 2024 program is open to individual participants in addition to group representatives and will have two participant tracks.

• Track 1 (Certificate Track): Participants attend every session and receive an LNP certificate at the end of the program.
• Track 2 (Drop-in Track): If your bandwidth is limited but you are still interested in learning more about the general LNP curriculum, participants can choose sign-up for LNP and drop-in to sessions as available.

Applications for the 2024 cycle are now closed.

Timeline

• Wednesday, May 29th
  LNP application opens
• Monday, July 8th
  LNP application closes
• Wednesday, July 31st
  Program acceptance notice
• Thursday, September 12th (6:00-8:00pm, in-person)
  Program Kick-off: Welcome Gathering
• Wednesday, September 25th (6:00-8:00pm, Zoom)
  Unit 1: How are Policy Decisions Made?
• Wednesday, October 9th (6:00-8:00pm, Zoom)
  Unit 2: What Does Land Use and Zoning Look Like in NYC?
• Wednesday, October 23rd (6:00-8:00pm, Zoom)
  Unit 3: What is the Land Use Review Process in NYC?
• Thursday, November 7th (6:00-8:00pm, Zoom)
  Unit 4: What Does Historic Preservation and Cultural Heritage Look Like?
• Wednesday, November 20th (6:00-8:00pm, Zoom)
  Unit 5: How Can the Public Get Involved in the Decision-Making Process?
• Thursday, December 12th (6:00-8:00pm, in-person)
  Holiday Party

Curriculum

Unit 1: How are Policy Decisions Made?

• 1.1: New York City Government Structure
• 1.2: City, State, and Federal Agencies
• 1.3: Legislative and Budget Processes

Unit 2: What Does Land Use and Zoning Look Like in NYC?

• 2.1: Zoning and Floor Area Ratio
• 2.2: Transferable Development Rights
• 2.3: Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Area Median Income

Unit 3: What is the Land Use Review Process in NYC?

• 3.1: City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR)
• 3.2: Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP)

Unit 4: What Does Historic Preservation and Cultural Heritage Look Like?

• 4.1: Historic Preservation and Landmark Designation Processes
• 4.2: Community Heritage and Cultural Heritage

Unit 5: How Can the Public Get Involved in the Decision-Making Process?

• 5.1: Testifying at Public Hearings
• 5.2: Coalition Building and Civic Engagement

Partnerships

Since 2007, LNP has collaborated with dozens of community-based partners across the five boroughs. Past work has included workshops on navigating City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) and the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) as a community member, placemaking exercises, and a land use curriculum for a youth summer program.

Resources

Included below are videos of panel discussions that MAS has hosted on related topics.

• MAS YouTube Channel
• Exploring History and Advocacy at the People’s Beach – video
• New Perspectives on Refining CEQR: A Look Back at Citywide Development – video
• Towards Comprehensive Planning: New York City in Conversation – video
• Towards Comprehensive Planning: Preserving Historic and Cultural Resources – video
• Towards Comprehensive Planning: Public Participation and Strengthening Community Capacity – video

Contact

You can contact the Livable Neighborhoods Program at lnp@mas.org.