The Chinatown Working Group (CWG) is
a community-based planning initiative on the future of Chinatown in
New York City.
Our goal is to support the community’s residents, workers, businesses and
visitors. Chinatown Working Group members include Chinatown’s stakeholders –
representatives of community groups, Community Boards #1, 2 & 3 and
interested parties.
Our focus is on issues of shared
concern throughout Chinatown including but not limited to
affordability, preservation, revitalization and the social and
economic well being of families, seniors and youths.
The Chinatown Working Group's objective is to articulate
common goals for Chinatown’s future with consideration for its
impact on adjacent New York City communities, and to formulate and work with
New York City
agencies to implement a precise, comprehensive, meaningful, timely
and broadly supported community-based plan.
Pictured at left: Ed Ma, Dan
Chen, Jim Solomon, Thomas Yu (far right) with Secretary
Ray LaHood, US Dept of Transportation, May 19, 2010
Photographer: Vanita Solomon
The Second Town
Hall Meeting on February 1st, 2010 was
conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, Fukienese, Spanish and English Charrettes
and provided valuable
feedback for the Chinatown Working Group's
Preliminary 197a Action Plan.
The Chinatown Working Group's plan is to create an inventory of existing
conditions and identify realistic implementation
of strategies that address, among many issues: truly
affordable housing, multi-cultural and historic
preservation, economic revitalization and
sustainability, commercial stability, residential and
business displacement, small/light manufacturing use,
open space, public infrastructure, transportation,
congestion, tenant rights, the environment including air
quality, education, the arts, human rights, immigrant
needs, social conflicts and crime, the well being of
families, seniors and youths, and zoning. Although
zoning is a powerful planning tool that can be used to
mitigate the potential negative impacts of development
in a neighborhood, it is not the only strategy that
should be applied in Chinatown. A broader
community-based planning strategy that goes beyond
zoning may be pursued.
STRATEGY
The Chinatown Working Group's community-based plan for Chinatown will engage
in a democratic, comprehensive and transparent process in building
consensus among diverse groups. CWG will conduct extensive public
outreach to involve as many of Chinatown’s stakeholders as
possible. CWG meetings will be held regularly and open to
everyone. CWG hopes to have the full cooperation and support of the
City for this community-based initiative including access to staff
from various agencies, such as City Planning, HPD, Small Business
Services, Department of Transportation and Economic Development
Corporation.
The Chinatown Working Group (CWG) is a
democratic and transparent initiative. Meetings are open to
everyone.
The full Working Group
regularly meets the first Monday of each month, 4-6pm @
American Legion Post 1291, 191-193 Canal St, 2nd Fl., New York,
NY. Check listings in the right column for updates.
The Working Group
Coordinating Committee regularly meets the second Tuesday of
each month, 4-5:30p, @ Community Board #1, 49-51 Chambers St,
Rm. 709, New York, NY. Check listings in the
right column for updates.
Check for all
meetings, as they are scheduled, in column to the right.
MEETING CALENDAR
Monday, December 9, 2013, 4:00pm
to 5:30pm
Full Group Meeting American Legion Post
1291, 191-193 Canal Street, 2nd Floor.
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013, 6:30pm, Rutgers Community Center, 200 Madison Street Manhattan Community Board
3 - Land Use Committee
Pratt Center / Collective Presentation of Final Recommendations to CWG for
Chinatown and Surrounding Areas
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2013, 4-5:30pm,
CWG Coordinating Committee (Tentative) Community Board 1, 49-51
Chambers Street, 7th Floor
Monday, Jan 6, 2014
CWG Full Group Meeting American Legion American
Legion Post 1291, 191-193 Canal Street, 2nd Floor.
