Neighborhood Activists in Queens and the Bronx Will Train as Land Use Advocates

MAS will cover workshop expenses and support the neighborhood advocates in developing workshop agendas. Along with program partner Leonardo Vazquez, Executive Director of the National Consortium for Creative Placemaking, MAS will also provide workshop content and help facilitate the sessions.

The Saturday workshops (scheduled for April 29 and May 20 in Queens and June 3 and 10 in the Bronx) will be free and open to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about creative placemaking and cultural planning is encouraged to attend. More information about each session will be posted here.

“With the help of more than 25 partner organizations, MAS’s Livable Neighborhoods Program has trained thousands of local stakeholders to advocate for their own communities,” said Elizabeth Goldstein, President of MAS. “The launch of CreateNYC gives New Yorkers an opportunity to invest in our public spaces as venues for creative expression, community engagement, and economic development. We are delighted to put creative placemaking at the center of our 2017 training program.”

About the Livable Neighborhoods Program

Founded on the principle that community involvement is essential to successful city planning, The Municipal Art Society’s Livable Neighborhoods Program (LNP) trains New Yorkers to better understand and influence land-use decisions affecting their neighborhoods.

Through community visioning, educational workshops, leadership development, and online resources, LNP helps 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 they want and need.

For more information, please visit https://www.mas.org/lnp or contact Joanna Crispe, Director of Community Engagement and Education at jcrispe@mas.org or (212) 935-3960 x1226.

About Queens Community Board 4

Community Board #4Q encompasses the communities of Corona (south of Roosevelt Avenue), Corona Heights, and Elmhurst. The boundaries of CB #4Q are Roosevelt Avenue to the North, Flushing Meadow Corona Park to the East, Horace Harding Expressway to the South, and New York Connecting Railroad (CSX) to the West. The communities of Corona, Corona Heights, and Elmhurst are experiencing dramatic growth and change. CB #4Q is hard at work to ensure that any growth benefits local residents and workers and improves the quality of life in our community. CB #4Q is home to many vibrant shopping areas such as the Queens Center Mall, Queens Place, Corona Plaza, and 82nd Street. Elmhurst Hospital is located within CB #4Q. We also take pride and a special interest in Flushing Meadow Corona Park, our neighbor and Queens largest park.

About SoBRO

The South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the South Bronx by strengthening businesses and creating and implementing innovative economic, housing, educational, and career development programs for youth and adults. SoBRO was established in 1972 to reverse the flight of businesses and jobs from the South Bronx. Recognizing that rebuilding a community had to be a multifaceted effort – which required replacing vacant lots with businesses and housing, addressing poverty by creating jobs and training people for those jobs, and insuring a brighter future for the community’s young people – over the years SoBRO has expanded to meet the needs of the Bronx.