A community is a place where people live and work, a place where people can live with people who are just like them. They may share the same interest, culture, or financial situation, and develop a unique type of connection with others in the community. Communities are often defined by the people that make it up, but at the same time, these communities can be easily changed by the government. New infrastructure, a change in policy, or new projects can transform communities.

My group is studying the proposed street car line, the BQX. In order to evaluate whether or not this streetcar will be successful or not, we need to study some of the potential consequences the BQX line will have on the communities it passes through. The area that the BQX will go through were once heavily industrial areas with big focus on manufacturing. As Industry left the city, these areas were rezoned. Industrial areas became mixed used or residential, leading to the development of new buildings. This brought more people into the area, increasing the demand for infrastructure. The BQX is a plan that was developed with this in mind. The city saw these areas as emerging hubs of activities and proposed the BQX to facilitate this transformation. Many areas have already been changed by government policies like the rezoning of Williamsburg and Brooklyn Bridge park. However, some communities depend on the existing neighborhood and sudden changes brought by these policies will disrupt the livelihood of these communities. This brings us to one of the goals for our project, which is to help people understand how this streetcar line will affect their community.

Discussion Question: How else is the city changing communities? To what extent is the government necessary in community development?