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After 15 years on the community board I’ve concluded that we lack an effective process to engage the public in community betterment. All too frequently I meet civic minded residents who believe society’s change levers are out of their grasp, that improvements depend upon government funding, dedicating one’s life to a goal, or finding a wealthy benefactor. As a result, the city’s “8,000,000 points of light” remain unconnected.
This year I’m focusing on a narrow project that might effect some of the desired change: adding an Internet radio feature to our community board’s website. Here’s a look at the tasks ahead:
1. Create an Internet radio studio in Queens Community Board 3’s district office.
a. Knock two holes in the wall and install windows in the unused office at Queens Community Board 3’s district office.
b. Install radio equipment donated by Radio Tobon.
c. Arrange for a good internet connection, server, and software.
d. Connect the radio station to the internet.
2. Add a “LISTEN” button to Queens Community Board 3’s website.
3. Add stickers with the board’s web address to the Alternate Side of the Street Parking signs throughout the district.
4. Keep the station on-air 24 hours per day, with music feeds if necessary.
a. Announce, and post on the board’s website, information about community events, developments, opportunities.
b. The DM’s Hour
c. Call the Chair
d. Talk to Local City Managers
e. Community Group Hours
5. Engage local youth to help run the station.
The project will address some of the key limitations on planning, development, and governance that result from NYC’s communities being media ghettos. If you’re not familiar with “media ghetto” term, it refers to the limitations that arise from the city's basic communication infrastructure. For while NYC is the "world's communications capital," with more TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, cable, book publishing…resources than anywhere else, the capital's focus is typically regional, national, or global. As a result, most residents are unaware of such fundamentals as the community board's role or even the board that serves them. Equally problematic, the boards can't effectively communicate with those they serve.
What's the problem?
Consider the vast difference in dedicated media coverage provided to two communities of roughly similar size: my college town, Terra Haute, Indiana and Queens' Community District 3.
Terra Haute, Indiana Community District 3
Population 105,000 170,000
Television Stations 2 0
Daily Newspapers 1 0
Radio Stations 8 0
Today's connecting tools are truly remarkable and will make talking, discussing, deciding and acting together the norm. Using them, it will no longer be necessary to dedicate one’s life to resolve a small issue or to call on government to solve every problem. It will be a different world with solutions and ideas originating in the local community.
Thomas Lowenhaupt
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