Hester Street has been providing critical technical and capacity-building assistance to residents and community-based organizations for the Bushwick Community Plan (BCP) which was released in the fall of 2018 in anticipation of a wider neighborhood rezoning. Our team has produced zoning analyses, conducted neighborhood mapping and provided facilitation and strategy support to the resident-led Executive and Steering Committees of the BCP, making sure that residents are equipped with the tools necessary to develop a community plan that addresses local needs and ensures long-term benefit.
The plan release event in September 2018 brought out over 200 Bushwick residents and other stakeholders to review and prioritize community objectives across the 6 topic areas that form the plan: Economic Development; Open Space; Transportation/Infrastructure; Land Use/Zoning; Housing; and Community Health. Bushwick community members – with technical tools in hand – are leading the process to determine the look and feel of their neighborhood. The BCP further outlines 195 key recommendations to preserve and develop affordable housing; increase access to critical health, cultural, transportation and economic resources; and improve and develop new green and public space. Hester Street supports the BCP Executive and Steering Committees and facilitates collaboration with local City Councilmembers Antonio Reynoso and Rafael Espinal and with the NYC Departments of City Planning and Housing, Preservation, and Development.
