Conference Workshops
Workshop A1: Thriving Main Streets Require a Mix of Uses
“Mixed-use development, especially as part of downtown corridors, is an important component to reviving Long Island’s communities. Although a number of barriers have prevented the development of mixed-use projects in recent memory, many people across the Island are finding ways to get inventive projects done. This panel featured a civic group, a developer, a business owner, and a municipal official, and a banker who have all been able to complete important projects that met their individual interests. The panel illustrated the opportunities available to complete projects that serve the interests of various stakeholders simultaneously.
Major findings:
-Flexibility and the willingness to compromise is essential
-Build a coalition with all local stakeholders or include a Community Benefits Agreement
-There are various forms that mixed-use buildings can take on including residential, office, and retail
-Consider the big picture and surrounding properties
-Include inventive ideas like green buildings to make it more attractive to the community
-Utilize additional services like a Business Improvement District or Chamber of Commerce”
Workshop B1: Innovative Solutions to Creating Safe Neighborhoods
Creating and maintaining safe communities is crucial to maintaining a high quality of life. Public safety is critical to creating an environment where businesses thrive, children feel safe walking to school, properties maintain their value, and new investment is attracted. This panel featured a lawyer, an outreach counselor, a community activist, a district attorney, and a police chief who have all been able to work successfully, in different ways, to facilitate safe and vibrant communities. The panel discussed various methods they have been employed to address crime and get residents vested in their communities.
Major findings:
-Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) should use high-tech, attractive methods to attract people, not bars and fences
-Combine uses of facilities, such as using a school building for after school programs, and evening programs for youth/elderly
-Community meetings, Neighborhood Watch, Weed & Seed, parent-teacher meetings and school forums are examples that can get residents vested in their community and decrease crime
-Creating job opportunities in a community goes hand in hand with reducing crime
-Law enforcement should take on more of a community policing role instead of simply reacting to crime
-Perceptions are important in public safety; attractive, well-lit buildings are more likely to deter criminals
Workshop C1: Developing Around Transit to Create a Holistic Community
Long Island’s communities are overwhelmed by traffic congestion, high property taxes, and rising home costs. Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) reduce personal transportation costs by supporting public transit opportunities, reducing government expenditures on infrastructure, and creating high value development opportunities. The panelists included representatives from LIRR, a village mayor, a community advocate, a transportation consultant and a private developer. They discussed the components of successful communities, identified the barriers to success on Long Island and identified key steps to achieving TOD success.
Major findings:
-There should be a mix of uses (retail, office, residential)
-TOD requires moderate to high density development
-Communities where you can live, work, shop and play is the key today (park once)
-Design places that will attract people not cars (Err on the side of the pedestrian, not the car)
-Provide transportation that is fast, frequent, friendly to use and reliable
-The bottom line is:
-Mixed uses + density + design + pedestrian access=PEOPLE
-Parking Policy= people with fewer cars=walkers, bikers, and transit riders
-More people on the streets=more eyes=safer communities
Presentation of David Fields, Nelson/Nygaard
Workshop D1: Sustainable Energy for a Sustainable Long Island
Building “green” is the trend sweeping the nation. With rising energy costs, green buildings present an opportunity for downtown corridors to control costs. This panel featured an architect, a developer, representative from the local power company, and a municipal elected official who all shared their unique perspective and roles on this topic. The panel illustrated the interrelationships that exist in building green, between the interior decorator, the HVAC engineer, or the architect in the design of the building or the relationship between government, community, the energy company and builders in identifying policies and incentives to move projects forward.
Major findings:
-Collaboration between stakeholders: Community, Developers, Government and Business is critical component to creating a green building
-Building green is a holistic approach of building design
-Public-private partnerships are key
-Green buildings should be integrated with the surrounding community
Workshop A2: Strong Local Economy Makes for a Strong Sustainable Region
The future of Long Island is dependent on strengthening our local businesses and revitalizing our downtowns. We must maintain a high quality of life while accommodating new economic growth in beneficial sectors. This panel featured a village mayor, regional economic advocate, community development expert, and a local business owner who are actively working to create a strong local economy.
Major findings:
-Provide housing for young “creative class” workers to retain the best young professionals
-We need to create thriving communities and downtowns that are attractive locations to these professionals
-Invest in people and development of skills for the new economy
-Take advantage of existing assets in the community
-Real change is a long term process
Workshop B2: Bringing Community into the Planning Process
Every neighborhood can be a thriving, engaged community. Collaboration between government, business leaders, and citizens is crucial to achieving sustainable communities. This panel featured a municipal planner, local developer, community member, and a local property owner who are actively working to bring people together in their communities.
Major findings:
-Reflect the diversity of your community in the makeup of coalitions and organizations; ensure all stakeholders are represented
-Build trust through consistency, honesty, listening and respect
-Access to information and decision-making process with tailored outreach, municipal meetings at varying times, public access and web broadcasts
-Community activities that focus on the positive can bring residents together; such as clean-up days and tree lighting
-Use education as a tool to cultivate a favorable community environment
Workshop C2: Creating Communities Where Walking is Safe and Practical
Whether due to dangerous intersections, long distances or a lack of sidewalks, walking is not a safe option for most Long Islanders. In a sustainable community your children can safely walk or ride bicycles to school, you can walk to a train or bus stop on the way to work and pick up a carton of milk at the local store on the walk home. This panel included two transportation experts, a former MTA Bus expert, a village mayor, community civic leader, and a landscape architect. They discussed solutions to creating healthier, more walkable communities and the components that make a community walkable.
Major findings:
-Walkable communities improve ones quality of life
-Communities should be walkable, bikeable, and connected to resources
-Provide transportation options i.e. bus, trains, ferry, jitney service
-Provide linkages from homes to main streets, parks, schools, and work
-Replace parking lots with buildings or parking behind buildings or require shared parking
-Create walkable sidewalks, bike lanes, and improve multi-purpose lanes
-Provide more user friendly streets that will encourage walking for recreational activities
Presentation of Larry McAuliffe, NYMTC
Workshop D2: Developing Long Island’s Land for a Sustainable Future
The panel provided their insights on the impacts of land use on the development process. The scenario focused the conversation around an undeveloped property surrounded by strip malls, potential brownfields and single family homes. Discussions in the break-out groups ranged from the preservation of open space, community segregation, to revitalizing the neighboring strip malls before building on the undeveloped parcel. This panel featured a municipal official, an engineer, a developer, a lawyer and community advocate. The panel discussed everyday challenges that they faced in not only creating plans but the implementation of ideas that would support community revitalization.
Major findings:
-There is no cookie cutter approach to a good land use plan but the process needs to include all relevant stakeholders
-“As of right” development exists on paper but is not a reality on Long Island development
-Proper planning goes beyond just a particular site, but by creating a comprehensive plan allows for clear decision making
-Redevelopment goes beyond just the land use, but other incentives and benefits for the developer and community should be identified in approving their project |
