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Q&A
Integrating housing development with infrastructure and community services planning
0:33:53
·
86 sec
Commissioner Valerie White asks Barika Williams about integrating other community needs, beyond schools, into a comprehensive planning strategy to support housing. Williams uses the failed Flushing rezoning as an example where inadequate planning for transit capacity contributed to its demise, underscoring the need to coordinate housing growth with infrastructure like transit and healthcare.
- The Flushing rezoning failure highlighted the necessity of addressing existing infrastructure constraints (like the overcrowded 7 train) when planning for increased housing density.
- Comprehensive planning must account for the impact of new residents on transit, hospitals, schools, and other services.
Valerie White
0:33:53
Hello, Barrica.
0:33:54
Good to see you.
0:33:55
Thank you for your testimony.
0:33:57
Just to sort of piggyback on some of these comments, when you think about a comprehensive planning strategy, what are some of the other parts of the ecosystem you mentioned, schooling that could, tie into a a larger community planning that would support additional housing units, but also building up the community with the type of ancillary services they need to be successful.
Barika Williams
0:34:18
So I think a a a great example of where we maybe couldn't quite figure this out successfully, is what transpired in the Flushing neighborhood rezoning, where there was a plan, to increase density in Flushing, increase affordable housing.
0:34:35
But to do that much housing, unilaterally without being able to address the fact that you were at an o already overcapacity transit system just was not gonna add up.
0:34:48
And, ultimately, part of the reason it's not the only reason, but a significant reason that that rezoning did not go forward was because there was no real pathway to addressing the fact that there was there wasn't a way to add capacity to the seven line and to the buses out there.
0:35:02
Right?
0:35:02
And and, you know, I I think we've gotta be reasonable and when saying to folks, add all these new units that they add a lot of kids.
0:35:10
They add a lot of people commuting.
0:35:12
They add more folks in beds at your local hospitals, and and so you we you can't just ask for one.
0:35:18
Right?