Update:

We have decided to find out the potential effect of gentrification from the development Flushing West on the community. To explore these effects we plan to research the placement of Skyview mall in Flushing and its effect on the property values around it using Social Explorer, which has an option of looking at house values. Skyview mall is in the vicinity of the site for development along the waterfront. Big cooperate stores such as Target, Forever 21, Nike, and Adidas have stores in the mall. We predict that our research will show that the presence of Skyview increased property values. From that, hopefully, we can predict that the presence of the waterfront promenade will also Flushing property values, which would lead to gentrification and displacement. Besides using resources like Social Explorer, we also would like to attend Town Hall meetings to talk to community members  to be aware of the community’s feelings and knowledge of the waterfront development.

Timeline

3/30/16

• Update project brief
• Discuss research findings
• Weekly update 3 by Wilian

4/6/16

• Weekly update 4 by Christine

Brian Auqilla, Christine Chen, Wilian Chauca, Erica Loo, and Claudia Yan

We have learned much about the history of city planning and how economic endeavors have shaped the development of our city. In many instances, these economic driven redevelopment projects have led to problems such as gentrification, power struggles, and displacement. Although more regulations for redevelopment projects now exist, the aforementioned issues remain relevant and pose a possible threat to the residents of Flushing West, one of the areas designated for rezoning. Upon speaking to a contact at the MinKwon Community Center, we have learned about the community’s opposition to the city’s plans for Flushing West. Some of our immediate goals include figuring out why the denizens of Flushing are opposed to the idea of rezoning and raising awareness of the concept of rezoning as well as the potential problems that arise due to rezoning. Achieving these short term goals will hopefully facilitate our efforts in achieving our long term goals. These include mediating between those in charge of the rezoning and those most likely to be affected by rezoning and getting more people involved in city planning efforts.

Before we can raise awareness about the problems of rezoning, we must first gain a better understanding of the roots of redevelopment projects. We plan to explore other instances of rezoning in New York City and Flushing’s development to understand Flushing’s demographics and the specific impacts that rezoning may have on Flushing. After conducting historical research on key policies and planning practices with a focus on the history of Flushing, rezoning in NYC, and community centers, we plan to have direct engagement with community contacts in order to gain insight on the various opinions and understandings of the current rezoning plans for Flushing West.

Our specific activities will include reaching out to various community centers located in Flushing and getting their interpretation and opinions on the rezoning of Flushing so that we may accurately portray the community’s concerns about the rezoning. We can also participate in events or meetings planned by the MinKown Center.

We expect to produce a white paper proposing planning practices that will give the community a louder voice in the decision making process. We also want to make sure that the people understand the implications of the rezoning and can make knowledgeable decisions concerning the future of Flushing West. We also have plans to make a public engagement flyer which would serve to capture public interest and increase attendance to the public meetings about the rezoning.

After successful contact with the MinKwon Center for Community Action, we were able to get a touch of MinKwon’s stance on the rezoning as well as learn of the upcoming Flushing Rezoning Community Alliance meeting. We plan to attend the event regarding the rezoning on Thursday, March 10th at 7pm. We are also looking into other community contacts besides the MinKwon Center for Community Action as the MinKwon center has a stronger focus on the Korean community in Flushing. Community centers such as the Chinese Community Center of Flushing and the Taiwan Center in Flushing have been contacted, but we have not heard back from them yet. Even if these community centers are not holding meetings or protesting the rezoning, it would be good to get some insight on their views on the rezoning of Flushing.

Wilian will be researching small business growth and workforce needs. Erica will be keeping correspondence with the Minkwon Center for Community Action and other any future community contacts. Claudia will be researching the historical background of Flushing and looking at the significance of community centers in Flushing. Christine will address the problem of gentrification and its relationship to displacement and attempt to depict the transformation of Flushing due to gentrification. Brian will discuss the issues with the current rezoning plan and possible solutions that community members may accept.