Livable Neighborhoods Program

Helping New Yorkers become stronger advocates for their neighborhoods

2007–present

Founded on the principle that community involvement is essential to successful city planning, the Livable Neighborhoods Program (LNP) helps local leaders in under-resourced communities develop the knowledge and tools that they need to participate effectively in public land use review processes and engage in creative, community-based design and planning.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

graphic on how to become a partner in the Livable Neighborhoods Program

Previous LNP partners have said:

“The structure allowed us to recruit and build more diverse (culturally, socio-economically and geographically) audiences for our workshops. The speakers were well prepared and provided useful and factual information that was accessible to the attendees. In addition, the holistic aka Feminist structure of the workshops (providing childcare and a meal) allowed some people to participate who stated clearly they would not have been able to come otherwise.”

“Thank you for the hard work and diligence of your staff. You work hard and long hours and we appreciate what you bring to our community. Plus, by offering funds for child care you really allowed working parents to participate so thank you!”

“The Livable Neighborhoods Program helps participants to confront the daunting challenges of our communities by giving the participants the tools to recognize those challenges and how to develop a successful strategy to go forward.”

“It was a great team building exercise. It was a great way to show how a community can and should be well rounded and balanced. The program gave great ideas. It was a great way for everyone to discuss and express their concerns.”

“The program exceeded our expectations as it shared what other communities are doing in other states and in this city. It left us with a working product.”

“I enjoyed working with MAS, and the organizational perspective they brought to the table. I recommend the Livable Neighborhoods Program to any and all community-based partners.”

  • LNP partners and workshop participants in Queens CB 4
    LNP partners and workshop participants in Queens CB 4
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  • speaker and audience at workshop
    LNP kick-off event in Red Hook.
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  • workshop participants walk down sidewalk
    Mapping creative and cultural assets in Bedford Park
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  • participants join hands at workshop
    Acting out the “spirit of the South Bronx” in Mott Haven
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  • Members consult at a Livable Neighborhoods Workshop
    Members consult at a Livable Neighborhoods Workshop
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  • close up of workshop booklets
    LNP program materials
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  • workshop participants review maps
    Debriefing a community mapping exercise in Red Hook
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  • people raise hands at workshop
    LNP workshop in Flatbush
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Supporters

Funding Support
  • logo for the National Endowment for the Arts
Community Support
community-based partners who have participated in the program:
  • Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation
  • Asian Americans for Equality
  • Bronx Community Board 5
  • Bronx Community Board 7
  • Brownsville Partnership
  • Brownsville Community Justice Center
  • Flatbush-Nostrand BID
  • Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce
  • HABNET Chamber of Commerce
  • Justice for All Coalition
  • Council Member Ben Kallos
  • Landmark East Harlem
  • Long Island City Coalition
  • Northfield Community LDC
  • Council Member Powers
  • Red Hook New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program
  • Queens Community Board 4
  • South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBro)
content partners who have contributed their expertise to the workshops:
  • Brooklyn Borough President’s Office
  • Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP)
  • Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
  • Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES)
  • Historic Districts Council
  • Hunter College Center for Community Planning and Development
  • In Our Back Yard (IOBY)
  • Larisa Ortiz Associates
  • Manhattan Borough President’s Office
  • National Consortium for Creative Placemaking
  • New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
  • New Yorkers for Parks
  • NYC Department of City Planning
  • NYC Independent Budget Office
  • NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
  • Partnership for Parks
  • Pratt Center for Community Development
  • Pratt Institute’s Programs for Sustainable Planning and Development (PSPD)
  • Sustainable South Bronx
  • Transportation Alternatives
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