When an urban plan is proposed for a neighborhood, residents of the community can feel powerless, scared, and believe they have no voice or options. However, just as “we the people” of the United States made our voices heard to create the union we desired, a community of people, if they work together, committed to a common goal, can be more powerful than they might have imagined, and preserve the neighborhood they desire. In his book New York for Sale, Tom Agnotti writes about several such success stories. For example, the Cooper Square story. The city’s original plan would have eliminated a significant amount of affordable housing and replaced it with middle-income housing, displacing more residents than it would have accommodated. The people of the community came together, did the research and came up with a workable alternative plan of their own which would preserve the needs of the residents. The Cooper Square Alternate Plan was ultimately adopted, and its success paved the way for other communities to do the same. These stories illustrate the power of people working together for a common goal to have a voice in their neighborhoods.
- Why are some community alternate plans successful while some aren’t?
- What happens if the community is divided over what is best for their neighborhood, and can’t find a unified voice?
- Are the residents of a neighborhood always the most qualified to understand what is best for their community?
