On Saturday, September 13th, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., the Design Trust for Public Space and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition (of which PHNDC is a member) will kick-off Reinventing Grand Army Plaza, a free outdoor exhibit showcasing 30 visionary ideas for transforming Grand Army Plaza into one of the world's great urban spaces. The exhibit will be located in the center oval of Grand Army Plaza.

The kick-off event will feature live music, food, guided tours of the exhibit, a special performance of Brooklyn's own Streb Lab for Action Mechanics (S.L.A.M.), and an opportunity to meet the designers and prizewinners.

In February, the Design Trust initiated a two-month international competition seeking ideas for transforming the Plaza from a whirling traffic maelstrom into the magnificent public space that its creators, legendary Prospect Park architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, had envisioned. More than 200 teams from around the world submitted entries, from which the competition's jurors selected the top 30 for exhibition.

Those designs will be on display until October 13th, with free guided tours every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. You'll also have a chance to vote for your favorite vision for Grand Army Plaza.

For more information, you can download a PDF of the exhibit brochure, or you can visit the Reinventing Grand Army Plaza Project page on the Design Trust's web site.

(Above copy courtesy of PSN e-newsletter.)

HELP US PLAN OUR TRANSPORTATION FUTURE!

Billions of Federal dollars will be spent over the next 25 years to improve the region's transportation system, and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) wants your input into how that money should be spent.

NYMTC's 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan will lay out a long-range framework for improving the region's transportation system – its roads, bridges, freight and mass transit facilities, and its bicycle and pedestrian networks.

Interactive workshops are being held throughout the region to encourage your comments, ideas and suggestions for your community's transportation future and to discuss the new Plan, including various trends and issues, NYMTC's shared goals for the region and its proposed development vision, and the regional socio-economic and demographic forecasts that will form its foundation.

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO HELP PLAN TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS. YOUR CONCERNS AND ISSUES MATTER!

For more information please contact: Jan Khan at 212.383.7251 or jkhan@dot.state.ny.us.

From State Senator Eric Adams:

'Dear Neighbors:

'When I was elected in 2006 as New York State Senator for the 20th District, I was excited about the opportunity to represent a community in which various groups would illustrate for our city and state the many ways in which to celebrate the beauty of diversity. Throughout my first term in office, as I interacted with numerous residents who shared the vision of the magnificence of diversity, I identified a great strategy to transform this theoretical conception into a day of celebration.

'The initial goal is the establishment of a "Celebrate our Diversity Day."

'The objective of the day is to observe and honor the multiplicity of ethnicities, cultures, religions, and lifestyles that make up our great borough. I hope to draw meaning from the issues and themes that are important to each of them. Our celebration will be constructed around two separate events.

'The first will involve pet owners. We will invite all dog owners and non-owners to assemble in the Prospect Park Long Meadow during the h ours of 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM (off-leash hours). It is my aim to construct an occasion during which dog owners and non-owners can use pets as vehicles to recognize how much we actually have in common. If brown dogs, beige dogs, German Shepherds, poodles, retrievers, etc. can play in and enjoy the park together, then we humans should also be able to share our community in mutual esteem and brotherhood/sisterhood.

'The second part of the day will involve a bike ride between the hours of 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM throughout the 20th Senatorial District. During this tour we will travel through the different communities that comprise one of the most diverse Senatorial Districts in the State of New York. We will ride through the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Boro Park, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Sunset Park, and Windsor Terrace. During the trip we will pause to enjoy the various sights, sounds, foods, and cultural manifestations that comprise this remarkable district.

'The bike ride will have the significant added benefits of promoting the use of alternative transportation, encouraging fitness through exercise, and making our roadways more bike friendly. (It is important to note that these are some of the critical topics that were discussed during my first meeting with individuals who support safer biking.)

'In order to make these events successful endeavors, your assistance is vital. If you are interested in aiding me to organize them, please email me at my personal email address, VoiceofConcern@aol.com.

'The scheduled day for both events is Saturday, September 6th, 2008. I encourage everyone interested in helping to organize "Celebrate our Diversity Day" to attend.

'Together, we can make Brooklyn a harmonious and safe place in which to nurture children and families.

'Best,

'Eric Adams
'NYS Senator, District #20'

Besides big apartment buildings, something else is rising in Brooklyn!

Concerned about

• Atlantic Yards?
• Sunset Park rezoning?
• Gowanus rezoning?
• Fulton Mall?

or any of the other development projects proposed for your neighborhood?

Come to the first-ever meeting of the Accountable Development Working Group.

For more information, contact Dave at (718) 237-2017 x148 or dpowell@fifthave.org.

The People's Accountable Development Summit, organized by The South Brooklyn Accountable Development Initiative (a project of the Fifth Avenue Committee), seeks to create dialogue and forge alliances among residents and various community stake holders in Brooklyn facing large developments, re-zonings and other land use changes. The centerpiece of the Summit will be a series of panel discussions on four major accountable development topics: Housing, Labor, Environment, and Process.
Summit Schedule: 9:00am-9:30am

• Registration, breakfast

9:30am--10:15am

• Opening remarks (Michelle de la Uz), keynote speaker, pledge from elected officials

10:15am-10:30am

• BREAK

10:30am-12:00pm

• Housing: "Protecting Tenants, Building Affordable Housing" an exploration of inclusionary zoning; affordable housing preservation; special districts and more.
  • Brad Lander, Pratt Center for Community Development
  • Julia Fitzgerald, Neighbors Helping Neighbors
  • Bennett Baumer, Housing Conservation Coordinators
  • Alison Cordero, St. Nicholas NPC
  • Deb Howard, Pratt Area Community Council
  • Moderator: Michelle de la Uz, Fifth Avenue Committee

• Labor: "Living Wages, Fair Returns", an exploration of local job training and hiring; living wage jobs, worker safety, leveraging government subsidies for real community benefits and more.
  • Elly Spicer, NYC Carpenters Labor-Management Cooperation Trust Fund
  • Betina Damiani, Good Jobs New York
  • Evelyn Zumba, Latin American Workers Project (Proyecto de los Trabajadores Latino Americanos)
  • Carrie Brunk, Jobs With Justice
  • David Pratt, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health
  • Moderator: Jeremy Reiss, Community Service Society

(Both panels will run 1.5 hours, simultaneously)

12:00pm-12:15pm

• BREAK

12:15pm-1:45pm

• Environment: "Healthy Homes, Sustainable Communities", an exploration of sustainable design, transit equity, environmental justice and more.
  • Gita Nandan, Thread Collective
  • Ericka Stallings, Coalition for Asthma Free Homes/NY Immigration Coalition
  • Bob Zuckerman, Gowanus Canal Conservancy/Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation
  • Elena Conte, Communities United for Transit Equity/Pratt Center for Community Development
  • Cecil Corbin Mark (WE ACT for Environmental Justice)
  • Moderator: Artemio Guerra, Fifth Avenue Committee

• Process: "Planning to the People", an exploration of community planning, community action, efforts to increase government transparency in the development process and more.
  • Tom Angotti, Gotham Gazette/Hunter College
  • Pat Jones, Community Board 9, Manhattan
  • Craig Hammerman, Community Board 6, Brooklyn
  • Theo Moore, Families United for Racial and Economic Equality
  • Sam Miller, Picture the Homeless
  • Moderator: Rosten Woo, Center for Urban Pedagogy

  (Both panels will run 1.5 hours, simultaneously)

1:45pm-3:00pm

• Closing remarks, lunch, entertainment.

This event is free. Food, childcare and Spanish translation will be provided. For more information or a pdf flyer for this event, contact Dave at dpowell@fifthave.org or (718) 237-2017 ext 148.

Do you want service improvements on the G train?

• Frustrated by the lack of adequate subway cars?
• Tired of long waits and over-crowded trains?
• Want better connections to other subway lines?

With the MTA Deciding soon on G train improvements, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries urges you to join him for a Save the G-train Kick-Off Rally! For more information, call (718) 596-0100.