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Q&A
Proposed changes to improve transparency in city planning processes
1:08:08
ยท
3 min
Commissioner Leah Goodridge discusses potential changes to improve transparency in city planning processes, including the land use process and the Charter Revision Commission.
- Emphasis on the need for greater transparency in communication with commissioners and the public
- Description of a project with the Brooklyn Public Library to educate the public about city planning processes
- Mention of writing op-eds to explain urban planning issues to the public
- Suggestion for more accessible explanations of the city planning process and increased public engagement
Keith Powers
1:08:08
Got it.
1:08:09
Appreciate that and thank you and a big fan of the Mitchell Lama program as well.
1:08:14
My last question I wanted to hand over to colleagues here as well is Oh, I have two questions.
1:08:20
One is on the specifics of rent guideline board, something I testify every year in front of my constituents, an amending process every year.
1:08:31
If you had to make any changes to rent guidelines for a process, what would it be?
1:08:35
And second is, that was just a thought I had in my head.
1:08:38
And the second one is, what changes to the land use process would you propose if we have a Charter Revision Commission before us, a lot of discussion around that right now sitting on the City Planning Commission.
1:08:52
Curious to see if any any thoughts around how you would change the land use process if given the ability to do so.
Leah Goodridge
1:09:05
Thinking about the first question, the rent
Keith Powers
1:09:06
You can just forget, you can do the second one if you want.
Leah Goodridge
1:09:08
Okay.
1:09:09
The the Charter Review Commission, I have to be honest, what the the the way I found out about the Charter Review Commission was that a journalist contacted me and asked me about it, and I contacted fellow commissioners like is there a Charter Review Commission and we all said no, that would be wild because no one has told us.
1:09:31
So I think that that's important to note for transparency, one one thing that could change is the level of transparency.
1:09:38
There have been a few times where something's happening like green fast track or something else going on with the mayor's proposals that actual city planning commissioners and other people just aren't looped in, and we're part of the process of city planning.
1:09:55
So I think that that could change.
1:09:58
One thing I've been working on as a commissioner to change to that in terms of transparency is I created a project in collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library where I lead workshops and invite other commissioners and elected officials to come and talk about the process of city planning.
1:10:14
I find that people are coming to the hearings to talk about specific proposals, but we're not having conversations in a larger context about what's happening with city planning, which can be very opaque, it can be very complex, and so I think it's important to have these conversations where people describe, especially experts in the field describe what's happening in New York City and get feedback.
1:10:40
Not, you know, replacing a hearing, but just describing what's happening and opening it up.
1:10:46
I think this might be the first type of program, if I'm not mistaken, that has done so.
1:10:54
I also, as a commissioner, I publish op eds quite often to explain a bit more about what's happening with urban planning.
1:11:03
A recent one was in the New York Times about a city council bill for free public restrooms, that's an urban planning issue because the reason why, you know, most people will say, yeah, we should have public restrooms, and then they pause, and then the reason why they pause is they're getting to the next big issue which is, well, if they're open to what what about homeless people?
1:11:25
And then that's why they don't want public restrooms.
1:11:28
So that's where I come in with my experience with housing and as a commissioner to explain and to amplify these issues and to really get at the many nuances of the history of urban planning.
1:11:40
So to answer your question, think transparency, one of the things that we can do different with land use is more transparency all around, not just transparency with commissioners sitting on the commission, but transparency with the public and explaining the process and having, you know, providing more access.
Keith Powers
1:11:56
Thank you.
1:11:57
Thanks and congratulations on your renomination.
1:11:59
Thank you.
1:12:01
Questions I have with council member Brewer and then council member Brooks Powers.