Current
opinion is strongly divided as to whether
the city has a responsibility to preserve
community gardens or profitably de-accession
the "vacant" public land occupied
by the gardens. In an effort to move the
discussion beyond partisanship, this Design
Trust planning project set forth a method
of reconciling the need for both affordable
housing and community open space. The project
promotes the type of integrated planning
and design that enables urban housing and
open space to benefit one another. The
Design Trust and the Trust for Public Land
jointly selected Bronx Community Board
3 to host and be the subject of this study.
The Design Trust awarded fellowships to community planners Jocelyne Chait and
Margaret Seip and to architect Petr Stand. This project team, led by Ms. Chait,
undertook extensive research to assess the status of housing types, developable
land, public parks, and community gardens within the board’s district.
The team clarified political processes that affect building in the district through
interviews with elected officials, public agencies, and local non-profits.
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In
addition, the team organized conferences
with invited gardeners and housing developers,
and held a design workshop in which residents
were asked to graphically explore their
attitudes towards housing and open space
both in their own neighborhoods and from
their personal histories. The team also
assisted Community Board 3 in establishing
its own computerized land use mapping
capabilities. Their report, Achieving
a Balance: Housing and Open Space in
Bronx Community Board 3, summarizes
project research and makes recommendations
to the community board that will help
the community realize its long-term planning
needs.
The Design Trust also granted a fellowship to journalist Kira Gould to document
the project as it progressed and to help raise public awareness of the underlying
issues. Ms. Gould's efforts resulted in coverage of the project by BronxNet television
and the New
York Times.
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