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Let's Get This Revolution Started

Issue Brief posted June 7, 2010

How Will New York Ramp Up Energy Efficiency Retrofits?

Reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable energy and moving toward a low-carbon economy and culture demand both a cultural shift in routine behavior and an infrastructure to support that change. Households are the number-one source of greenhouse gas emissions in New York City, accounting for more than 14 million metric tons each year. In a growing city, that number will only shrink if a critical mass of New Yorkers weatherize their homes and apartments for energy efficiency. That act must become as normal as recycling garbage.

This Pratt Center issue brief focuses on a critical ingredient in building the infrastructure: financing mechanisms that help property owners and renters retrofit their homes for energy efficiency.

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City Charter Revision: Where Land Use Fits In

Issue Brief last updated March 10, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg has announced the appointment of a City Charter revision commission. While its review of term limits may initially grab the most attention, the commission will be looking at something else just as vital to the city’s future: land use and the process through which property owners, residents and the government decide what gets built in New York City.

The new Pratt Center issue brief "City Charter Revision: Where Land Use Fits In" outlines the major land use challenges the new commission must confront: 

  • The City Planning Commission has ceased to plan
  • The City Charter's aspiration to community-based planning has not been fulfilled 
  • Attempts to promote "fair share" of burdens have fallen short
  • Side agreements to land use decisions have proliferated without disclosure or enforcement

A renewed and independent role for the City Planning Commission, substantive support for community-based planning, an updating of fair-share to meet current realities, and disclosure and enforcement for side agreements are all essential measures for the new City Charter commission to implement.

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Saving Independent Retail

Issue Brief posted August 10, 2009

Independent retailers are part of the glue that holds neighborhoods together, but increasingly they are fighting for survival. Retailers are plagued by high rents, competition from chains and the internet, limited access to credit, and other stresses, but their decline is far from inevitable. Drawing from the Pratt Center's work with neighborhood groups seeking to build strong shopping districts and from creative strategies pursued by other cities, the Pratt Center Issue Brief "Saving Independent Retail" details measures the Mayor’s Office can and must take to keep independent stores thriving.

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Bus Rapid Transit: A Transportation Revolution at a Bargain Price

Issue Brief posted May 27, 2009

Working with COMMUTE, a citywide coalition of community organizations working for transportation equity, the Pratt Center analyzed commuting patterns, the location of large employment centers, and existing bus routes to develop a proposal for a citywide bus rapid transit network.

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Protecting New York's Threatened Manufacturing Space

Issue Brief posted April 16, 2009

When Mayor Bloomberg came into office in 2002, New York City had 12,542 acres of land where manufacturing businesses could legally operate. Today, thanks to zoning changes, it has fewer than 10,746, and another 1,800 acres would be converted to other uses under proposed rezonings. This Pratt Center Issue Brief assesses the loss of manufacturing land, looks at its impact on local businesses and job opportunities, and recommends measures for preserving what's left.
 

 

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