We testified at the City Charter Revision Commission forum on land use last Thursday (24th June 2010) and thankfully ‘long-term planning’ was a prominent theme (you can watch the full four hours here). The debate around how long term planning could be better integrated in the structure and processes of government was brought to the fore by a question by Commissioner Hope Cohen of the RPA, which led to one of the most lengthy discussions of the night. There seemed to be a lot of support for exploring how an overall sustainability framework and long-term plan for the city could become part of the land use review process.
Other key discussions at the forum focused on: bringing transparency and consistency to the pre-ULURP process; requiring funding so that Community Boards can hire professional planners; elevating the role of Borough Presidents in ULURP; and how the future of Community Benefit Agreements should be shaped.
Our position paper for the Commission received press in this Gotham Gazette piece on Charter Reform and we were also quoted in the widely read Streetsblog NYC.
