The city charter directs each Community Board to "Consider the needs of the district which it serves." That's a very broad mandate. Historically, some Boards have used this elastic clause to issue foreign policy resolutions. While some might see this as a stretch, it is clear that the Boards should be engaged in determining the future of their communities: how big the buildings, where the parks go, how wide the streets, and how we protect ourselves from mother nature and those who would do us harm. That's the role and responsibility of residents living in a free society: We imagine, we discuss, we decide, and we act.
In December 2006, Mayor Bloomberg initiated a new planning effort that invites New Yorkers to help envision our city in the year 2030. A key element of that initiative was the Planyc2030 website, an effort to engage the public in the decision making process using Internet technology. While helpful, the Planyc2030 website could use a few tweeks:
- a moderation feature like that used in the Washington Post's letter to the editor section;
- evaluation tools like those available on the Digg website;
- additional transparency as to the scope of participation;
- explanation of the site's moderation policy.
With changes of this sort, the site will provide a means for the public to identify ideas and amplify those that resonate with their view.
Planyc2030's scope is city-wide, and with improved evaluation methods it could serve to consolidate, moderate, evaluate a plethora of ideas offered by residents.
But what of the role of Community Boards? They need to be connected with Vision2030 in a more concrete way.
Borough President Helen Marshall addressed planning precepts at a recent meeting of Community Board 3, stating that Queens has its own uniqueness; that Queens is not Manhattan; that our buildings are a different size by design and desire; and Queens' residents are a global mixture that is experimenting and setting the future for human cooperation. We're at the leading eade of creating a better world and we want to keep it tha way.
Of course, these desires exist within the scope of a broader city, state, and nation and we must accomodate as appropriate. But the tools to identify and select from opportunities have not been updated in a generation. The BP indicated that she will be announcing plans for connecting the public with their Community Boards through a series of networked websites at her January 23 State-of-the-Borough address.
This page draws on Board 3's 5 years experience operating a Community Board website and reviews how Board websites might integrate with the city-wide Planyc2030 site.
Thomas Lowenhaupt, Chair, Technology Advisory Committee
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