City Councilman Urges Use Of 'Plan Gowanus' Online Tool

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — City Councilman Brad Lander is urging his constituents to give their feedback on the future of Gowanus using a new online mapping tool.

The city's "Plan Gowanus" is a nifty website that lets people give their opinions — positive or negative — about the neighborhood and where they'd like to see it go. And it's in map form, so you can drop a pin on specific locations in the neighborhood and give your thoughts.

Lander, whose district includes Gowanus, wants to see more participation there.

"I know it’s easy to get 'planning fatigue,'" Lander wrote in a recent post on his website. "But shaping the future of our community -- especially given the challenges of escalating real-estate values, climate change, and political uncertainty -- is no easy feat. So we’re taking our time to hear as many voices as we can."

He also gave an update on the city's Gowanus Planning Study:

In October, a kick-off meeting introduced the PLACES study and introduce us to the many different City agencies involved.

In December, a public presentation focused on grounding the PLACES study in the critical issues of resiliency and sustainability, including the EPA’s Superfund cleanup, the challenges of flooding, and the long-term risk of sea-level rise.

In March, the first land use & urban design workshop, gave participants a chance to balance different uses and express urban design preferences.

Starting in January and running through this summer, five working groups are meeting monthly to formulate recommendations on (1) arts & culture, (2) industry & economic development, (3) housing, (4) public realm, and (5) resiliency & sustainability.

"There will be more opportunities to weigh in at community meetings in the fall, where we’ll hear from the working groups, continue the conversations on land use and urban design, and discuss topics like public schools and transportation," Lander writes.

Read more about Plan Gowanus here.

Image by Marc Torrence, Patch Staff