For Immediate Release
July 23, 2018
Contacts:
Rachaele Raynoff, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471
Watch the livestream
July 23, 2018 – City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Marisa Lago today announced that all formal CPC meetings, held at 120 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, are now being livestreamed.
“Public participation in policy decisions is the cornerstone of American democracy, and increasing that participation in CPC decision making is critical to ensuring our growing, thriving and diverse city is the best that it can be. Livestreaming CPC hearings brings an extra level of transparency, since New Yorkers who can’t attend a CPC public meeting still have the opportunity to watch our proceedings live. I encourage all New Yorkers to get involved in planning our city’s future,” Chair Lago said.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Members of the public may either:
The 13-member CPC is responsible for planning for the orderly growth and development of the city, including its population’s needs for housing, business, industry, transportation, recreation, culture, health and more. The CPC meets regularly to hold hearings and vote on applications concerning the use, development and improvement of property subject to City regulation. The CPC’s consideration of these applications includes an assessment of their environmental impacts where required by law.
The CPC meets twice a week, every other week, on Mondays, beginning at 1 p.m., and Wednesdays, beginning at 10 a.m. The CPC public hearings on Wednesday typically last until the last member of the public has been given an opportunity to speak.
The CPC’s Monday meetings are known as “Review Sessions.” At these Review Sessions, which are open to the public, the CPC hears staff presentations on new land use applications, as well as summaries of recommendations by community boards and borough presidents regarding applications that are in the public review process. At these Review Sessions, the CPC also deliberates publicly on proposals that are up for a vote.
These Review Sessions also may include special informational presentations, such as today's DCP staff demonstration of its new Population Factfinder online search tool. The tool enables visitors to easily define study areas within New York City and then examine detailed population profiles showing critical demographic, social, economic, and housing statistics, and how these statistics have changed over time. At previous Review Sessions, the CPC saw staff present other projects aimed at increasing transparency through public access to useful data, including:
The CPC’s Wednesday public hearings provide opportunities for the public to give oral testimony on land use applications and, for major projects, on environmental impact statements. Guidelines for speakers are available at the public hearings and may also be found in the public meeting calendars that are posted online in the days leading up to the public hearing.
You can also find the calendar of CPC meetings and schedule changes on that web page.
While CPC meetings have been videotaped and posted online for several years, the CPC’s new public hearing space, on the lower level of 120 Broadway between Cedar and Pine streets in Lower Manhattan, is designed to give more room for the public and provide for livestream capability. It also includes other modern information sharing applications for conveying real time public information.
Those who prefer seeing the CPC meetings on TV can do so on NYC TV, the official television network of New York City, which cablecasts them on Channel 74's program "Shaping the City with the CPC." Check the link for the program schedule.