2019 Livable Neighborhoods Program Underway

Advocacy Update
Planning

November 23, 2019

After a completive request for proposals, two neighborhood partners were selected for the 2019 Livable Neighborhood Program, the Morning Glory Community Garden in the Crotona Park East Neighborhood of the South Bronx as well as the West Harlem Community Preservation Organization and Harlem One Stop of Northern Manhattan.

Morning Glory highlights the importance of community gardens as gathering places, centers of physical activity & health, and fertile ground for conversations around changes within the neighborhood and borough. In October, Morning Glory Community Garden hosted GardenFest, a full day of craft workshops, food, and conversation to help plan for the future of Morning Glory Garden. The event was centered on community visioning for additional uses and opportunities to enhance the garden’s role as a place for gathering and wellness.

In their LNP project, neighbors in West Harlem link placemaking and historic preservation in an effort to expand conversation about the buildings, places, people, and culture that help to define their neighborhood. In November, West Harlem hosted a workshop where participants heard about preservation efforts throughout West, Central, and East Harlem. Attendees also learned about designation and regulation processes at the local, state, and national levels.

 

  • Volunteers at the Morning Glory Community Garden in the Bronx
    Volunteers at the Morning Glory Community Garden in the Bronx. Photo: MAS Staff.
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  • two men look at a sign during a Livable Neighborhoods Workshop
    Participants engaging in a dot exercise. Photo: MAS Staff.
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  • Garden shed in Morning Glory Community Garden in the Bronx
    Garden shed in Morning Glory Community Garden in the Bronx. Photo: MAS Staff.
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  • Audience members at a Livable Neighborhoods Program workshop in West Harlem.
    LNP workshop in West Harlem. Photo: MAS Staff.
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  • Speakers at a Livable Neighborhood Programs event in West Harlem.
    LNP event in West Harlem. Photo: MAS Staff.
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About the Livable Neighborhoods Program

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.

Through community visioning, educational workshops, leadership development, and online resources, participants become better prepared to work with developers, elected and appointed officials, and New York City agencies to advocate for the types of land use regulations and community benefits that they want and need. LNP is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City. Learn more about the Livable Neighborhoods Program.

About the Morning Glory Community Garden

The Morning Glory Community Garden was founded in 2014 as part of the Gardens for Healthy Communities Program within the Mayor’s Obesity Task Force Initiative. Morning Glory is part urban farm and part community garden as they offer weekly harvest boxes for Bronx residents, host community events, and contribute to the production of Small Axe Peppers Hot Sauce. As a group of committed volunteers, they recognize and elevate the integral role community gardens play in community life and urban infrastructure. Their mission is to sustainably meet the food needs of our community through urban agriculture. Learn more about the Morning Glory Community Garden.

About West Harlem Community Preservation Organization

West Harlem Community Preservation Organization is a grassroots volunteer organization, founded in 1996 to inform, educate and advocate on issues that impact the quality of life in West Harlem. They bring together community voices to resolve issues, to advocate for services, to celebrate the diverse people, culture, and communities of West Harlem and to preserve its unique architecture and historic places. Learn more about the West Harlem Community Preservation Organization.

About Harlem One Stop

Harlem One Stop is a community-based cultural tourism initiative founded in 2006 which seeks to establish a one stop network for Upper Manhattan-Harlem-based tourism through alliances and strategic partnerships. Through the promotion and sharing of local experience and knowledge, they seek to positively impact the delivery of services and contribute to the improvement and economic growth in greater Harlem. Harlem One Stop is also active in the preservation of Harlem’s culture and legacy, historic structures while connecting and embracing the new. Learn more about Harlem One Stop.