8/6/2019 DNAinfo - Change by Us Campaign Manhattan

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Change by Us Campaign Manhattan

Change by Us NYC Campaign Looks to Link Ideas with City Departments

Change by Us NYC campaign hopes to connect people with ideas to city agencies that will help them accomplish initiatives in their

communities.

By Kareem JohnsonDNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN An initiative launched by Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith on July 7, 2011 looks to help people with ideas get

them done with city assistance.

New York-based firm Local Projects is powering the Change by Us NYC campaign. The program is focusing its attention on citywide

green and sustainability initiatives. Submitted ideas will lead to collaboration with city agencies and community-based organizations.

"New Yorkers have long been active in greening our City and improving our quality of life, and thanks to this new website,

volunteers, professionals, and City agencies will have the opportunity to collaborate on issues like sustainability like never before,"

Goldsmith said in a statement.

The City is teaming up with the Citizens Committee of New York City, upwards of $20,000 of grant money is up for grabs for

gardening, parks, and composting, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"Citizens Committee for New York City is very excited to partner with the City of New York on Change by Us NYC, said Peter

Kostmayer, CEO of Citizens Committee for New York City in a statement. "Volunteer-led community groups all over the city will be

able to apply to us for a grant and project-planning assistance and take the first step to improving the environmental quality of life of

their neighborhoods."

Since launching on Thursday, the site has generated over 778 ideas, 118 project ideas city-wide, and 96 resources. Currently,

Manhattan has 2 projects and 27 ideas.

There are three types of contributions on the site. Ideas can be posted anonymously, and can be a suggestion, idea, or complaint.

Projects are an idea for action to be taken, and

In Manhattan, user Ian D. suggested the idea of making Central Park car-free, and another idea pitched by Dato M. was for an

community map and associated apps that link Washington Heights/Inwood and Harlem.

Samplings of some of the ideas on the site included expanding Summer Streets to every weekend during the summer, finishing

the 2 Ave. Subway, and removing bike lanes.

Rather than be a clearinghouse for ideas for what the city can do, ideas submitted to the site will be "a social network for grassroots

leaders," said Deputy Mayor Goldsmith.

"Change by Us NYC enables New Yorkers across the city to become stewards of their own local communities, and team up with the

city government and other neighbors to make good things happen," stated David Bragdon, Director of the Mayors Office of Long-

Term Planning and Sustainability in the news release.