Description
Beginning in Spring 2022, the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, in partnership with the Regional Plan Association and the New York Academy of Medicine, kicked off a planning process to produce a long-term, boroughwide plan aimed at guiding land use decisions and addressing public health and housing needs in the Borough of Brooklyn. In Fall 2022, the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso contracted with Hester Street (HST) as the comprehensive plan outreach and community engagement partner. HST developed a survey that built upon the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso’s 2022 Existing Conditions Report. Our team solicited feedback during focus group conversations with key stakeholders working across the borough and from residents at a town hall meeting to gather their ideas for land use, access to community services, housing, healthcare, employment opportunities and other key issues. We also produced an engagement guide for community-based organizations (CBOs) to conduct their own public engagement.
In collaboration with the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso, we produced a visual brief that summarizes recommendations for improving public health outcomes in response to community feedback. Based on feedback from residents, top priorities included increasing and supporting CBOs that focus on reducing health disparities, reducing exposure to hazardous environmental conditions, and increasing access to quality affordable health care and preventative services, among others.
On October 4, 2023, the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso released The Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn with data-backed recommendations across four categories: land use, budget, advocacy, and outreach. The Comprehensive Plan also includes four frameworks that apply their recommendations spatially across Brooklyn: resilient infrastructure and jobs, housing growth & parking demand management, health and wellness economy, and healthy streets & environment. HST is proud to support Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso’s vision for a healthier, more equitable Brooklyn.