PICCED's Role as a COPC

PICCED's Role as a Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC)

Pratt Institute, through its Center for Community and Environmental Development (PICCED), Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative (PPAC) and Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (GCPE), operates a Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) funded by the Office of University Partnerships of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This initiative provides an integrated program of participatory comprehensive planning in partnership with four New York City communities including direct technical assistance, training and capacity building, research, and information dissemination aimed at solving specific problems in these communities. The four partner communities are Bedford Stuyvesant, East New York, Southwest Brooklyn (including Red Hook, Gowanus and parts of Sunset Park), and Williamsburg.

Community Advisory Committees, made up of representatives of community organizations, have been set up in each of the partner communities, building upon the strength and momentum of existing civic structures and neighborhood planning efforts wherever possible. Working with these committees, PICCED has helped to create inclusive community-wide planning processes specifically tailored to the unique set of physical, economic and social conditions in each community. An integral part of this process (and a in-kind support contribution of the GCPE) is the involvement of Pratt graduate planning students. Each semester over the two year COPC program period, a Pratt graduate studio class in Neighborhood Planning will focus on one of the targeted communities, and develop a detailed comprehensive plan or a specific component of an overall plan.

In Bedford Stuyvesant and Williamsburg, we are supporting and assisting a planning process currently underway; in Southwest Brooklyn, we are assisting in implementation of aspects of a community-based plan recently developed for the area; and in East New York, we are assisting in a coalition building effort to facilitate the community's initiation of a comprehensive planning process.

All planning activities through this program are complemented by a program of training and technical assistance. Technical assistance is targeted not only at facilitating the development of specific projects to address each community's needs, such as affordable or special needs housing, day care centers, educational facilities or primary health care centers, but also at enhancing the capacity of community-based organizations to undertake such projects on their own. Pratt has given scholarships to community development practitioners from each of the four communities, to participate in the Pratt Community Economic Development Internship (PCEDI), a year-long program designed to strengthen the technical and management skills of the staff of community-based organizations. Successful completion of the internship also provides the participants with the opportunity to receive thirty credits advanced standing towards the completion of a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning, an opportunity that many past interns have eagerly pursued.

In addition, a rich exchange of information and informal networking has been taking place among the community groups in the four partnership communities, through a series of quarterly forums on community development topics, the development and distribution of case studies and profiles of community groups, and communications outreach via Handsnet and, eventually, through a proposed local community development network.

In-depth research projects will be undertaken by Pratt, based upon the needs identified by each community through the planning process. An urban design study of East New York has been completed, employing a multi-disciplinary approach to propose design and development schemes to address some of the community's most pressing needs. Another research project is the design and development of a computerized community information system to assist community-based organizations in gaining access to current information on the physical, social and economic characteristics of their neighborhoods in order to plan and evaluate their community service and development programs. In addition, Pratt will analyze the unmet need for primary health care services in two communities and conduct research on economic development strategies. Finally, Pratt will document the process of community building and seek to establish criteria and tools for evaluating the outcomes.

Work Plan

In order to carry out its responsibilities under HUD's Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) program, Pratt Institute is employing the research and outreach resources of the Pratt Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (GCPE), the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative (PPAC), the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environment Development (PICCED), and other Pratt departments as required. PICCED is coordinating Pratt's resources to provide an integrated program of participatory comprehensive planning in partnership with four New York City communities that will lead to specific research projects, direct technical assistance, training and capacity building, and information dissemination activities aimed at solving specific problems in these communities. Our efforts will be concentrated in three functional areas:

1. Comprehensive planning

The communities with which we are working in partnership are Bedford Stuyvesant, East New York, Southwest Brooklyn (including Red Hook, Gowanus and parts of Sunset Park), and Williamsburg. We have established Community Advisory Committees in each of these communities, building upon the strength and momentum of existing civic structures and neighborhood planning efforts wherever possible. Pratt is working with these committees to create inclusive community-wide planning efforts specifically tailored to the unique set of physical, economic and social condition in each community. As anticipated, the process is moving at a different pace in each community. In Bedford Stuyvesant and Williamsburg, we are supporting and assisting a planning process currently underway; in Southwest Brooklyn, we are assisting in implementation of aspects of a community-based plan recently developed for the area; and in East New York, we are assisting in a coalition building effort to facilitate the community's initiation of a comprehensive planning process.

A member of the Pratt staff has been selected to serve as the lead Community Planner in each of the target communities. This planner is responsible for communication with the Community Advisory Committee in developing Pratt's workplan for that community based on the specific needs and priorities identified, and for coordinating the activities of Pratt architects and planners according to the workplan developed. In addition, a senior architect has been assigned to each community to oversee all architectural and design aspects of program implementation. The Project Manager is responsible for coordinating and monitoring activities in the four communities, and for assuring that information is shared between them and disseminated to other COPC projects around the country.

The planning process in each community is evolving from and informed by an area-wide asset assessment, needs analysis and community mapping process that engages all the local stakeholders in a collaborative effort. An integral part of this process (and a in-kind support contribution of the GCPE) is the involvement of Pratt graduate planning students. Each semester over the two year COPC program period, a Pratt graduate studio class in Neighborhood Planning will focus on one of the targeted communities, or a sub-part thereof, and develop a detailed comprehensive plan or a specific component of an overall plan. Throughout all phases of planning, from preliminary identification of issues and data collection and analysis, to formulation of development objectives and implementation strategies, Pratt will assist the community in creating strategies to ensure that the process is inclusionary and that it leads community residents and primary stakeholders to develop an ongoing civic process to monitor, evaluate and amend the plan.

II. Outreach activities

All planning activities will be complemented by a program of training and technical assistance. Efforts to address the communities' needs will result in the identification of specific development sites and projects, such as affordable or special needs housing, day care centers, educational facilities, or primary health care centers. Pratt's direct technical assistance will be targeted not only at helping community-based organizations in the four communities carry out specific development projects, but also at enhancing the skills and capacities of their staff to successfully implement components of the plan on their own.

One project that has already been identified is the development of Education Plaza, a community facility envisioned in the Community Board #6 plan for Red Hook that will include a new high school, youth and social service centers, and retail development. Pratt is providing technical assistance in program development and architectural design in support of this non-traditional educational initiative. The project has strong potential to make a substantial contribution to the state of the art of public education in other neighborhoods identified for assistance under this COPC program.

As a component of our outreach agenda, Pratt will recruit two community development practitioners from each of the four communities, who will be given scholarships to participate in the Pratt Community Economic Development Internship, a year-long program conducted in five one to two-week residential sessions. The program is designed to strengthen the technical and management skills of senior staff of community-based organizations.

A rich exchange of information and informal networking will take place between the community groups in the four partnership communities, through a series of quarterly forums on community development topics, the development and distribution of case studies and profiles of community groups, and communications outreach via the Handsnet nation-wide computer network. Pratt will prepare program updates of innovative approaches to neighborhood revitalization being undertaken in the four COPC communities, as well as more detailed case studies of successful community development initiatives conceived by community development corporations (CDCs) working in the four communities for dissemination to other COPC communities.

III. Research activities

Urban design studio

This component of Pratt's work plan, already completed, employs a multi-disciplinary approach to propose strategies for the overall enhancement of targeted areas of East New York. Pratt architects and planners have prepared a submission for the "Envisioning East New York" study, a competition initiated by the land use committee of Brooklyn Community Board #5 as the focus of this year's Architectural League of New York design study program. Pratt's study proposes design strategies for the development of two areas in East New York, the "north core", a mixed residential, commercial, light industrial and institutional area, and the Livonia/New Lots corridor, an area with a heavy concentration of publicly subsidized housing that is scheduled for additional development of "Nehemiah" rowhouses.

The study employs a holistic approach to propose development schemes that will address some of the most pressing economic development, security, housing and recreational needs of the community. It suggests strategies for the overall enhancement of the community through infrastructure improvements and attention to environmental conditions, and provides specific design ideas, including the location and schematic form of buildings and facilities such as housing prototypes, a youth center, community gardens, a farmers market, a performance space for local groups, parks, and small scale retail development near a major transportation interchange. Besides providing extremely useful information for the East New York planning effort, we look at the "Envisioning East New York" study as an exercise in envisioning a generic distressed inner-city neighborhood and believe that many of the design solutions developed to address the problems in East New York will provide useful ideas for all of the COPC communities.

Establishing a computerized community information system

Pratt is designing a computerized community information system that neighborhood organizations can access as a source of current information on the physical, social and economic characteristics in their neighborhoods in order to plan and evaluate their community service and development programs. This study seeks to overcome the obstacles these organizations face in gaining access to information concerning their communities in order to increase their capacity to be full partners in the redevelopment of their neighborhoods. Pratt is surveying the data needs of community groups, researching the wealth of information currently available electronically through governmental agencies and private vendors, where feasible acquiring the data most commonly requested by community groups, and providing guidance on effectively utilizing this information. Our aim is to create a centralized resource center with a sophisticated inventory of computer analysis tools that will be made available to communities. The community information center will have the following elements to meet the specific needs indicated by the Community Advisory Communities:

� demographic data from the U.S. Census
� property profiles from the Department of Finance/Assessor's Office
� mapping of zoning, infrastructure, and public projects
� Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, crime reports, health and vital statistics
� program statistics for schools, youth programs, welfare, etc.,
� base maps and boundary files.

Primary health care needs analysis

Pratt will carry out a preliminary analysis of unmet need for primary care services in two communities, tentatively Williamsburg and East New York. These communities have expressed concern about the shortage of primary care services. This study will analyze local population characteristics, current and future; analyze the primary health care provider network serving the community; compare demand to supply both current and future; and quantify the extent of unmet need for primary care in order to obtain capital and operating funds for new community-based primary health care centers.

Community economic development study

Research on economic development strategies will be provided to Southwest Brooklyn, East New York and Bedford Stuyvesant. These strategies will be aimed at retaining existing businesses, attracting new businesses, and increasing entrepreneurial activity and economic opportunity among residents. The study will identify the communities' assets and strengths for engaging in economic activities and propose a plan for their maximization. In addition, it will identify and document the nature and form of capital formation vehicles or strategies needed by and appropriate to each community.

Leadership development research

This study, covered by matching funds committed from a Leadership Education Initiative grant from the Ford Foundation, will entail documenting the process of community building and seeking to establish criteria and tools for evaluating the outcomes. Existing evaluation tools are not equipped to deal with this process and its outcomes, which cannot be measured in purely quantitative terms.

Conclusion

At the end of the two year COPC contract period, we hope to have assisted each of the four communities in carrying out a local comprehensive needs analysis and neighborhood planning process; helped them implement specific projects and/or programs identified through this process; increased the capacity of local community-based organizations to plan and implement community development projects on their own; researched issues appropriate for future community-based initiatives based on a thorough analysis of neighborhood needs - physical, social and economic; and helped create an ongoing forum for participatory community planning that will facilitate current and future work in neighborhood revitalization and community renewal in each of these areas.


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PICCED's Role as a Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) Pratt Institute, through its Center for Community and Environmental Development (PICCED), Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative (PPAC) and Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (GCPE), operates a Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) funded by the Office of University Partnerships of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This initiative provides an integrated program of participatory comprehensive planning in partnership with four New York City communities including direct technical assistance, training and capacity building, research, and information dissemination aimed at solving specific problems in these communities. The four partner communities are Bedford Stuyvesant, East New York, Southwest Brooklyn (including Red Hook, Gowanus and parts of Sunset Park), and Williamsburg. Community Advisory Committees, made up of representatives of community organizations, have been set up in each of the partner communities, building upon the strength and momentum of existing civic structures and neighborhood planning efforts wherever possible. Working with these committees, PICCED has helped to create inclusive community-wide planning processes specifically tailored to the unique set of physical, economic and social conditions in each community. An integral part of this process (and a in-kind support contribution of the GCPE) is the involvement of Pratt graduate planning students. Each semester over the two year COPC program period, a Pratt graduate studio class in Neighborhood Planning will focus on one of the targeted communities, and develop a detailed comprehensive plan or a specific component of an overall plan. In Bedford Stuyvesant and Williamsburg, we are supporting and assisting a planning process currently underway; in Southwest Brooklyn, we are assisting in implementation of aspects of a community-based plan recently developed for the area; and in East New York, we are assisting in a coalition building effort to facilitate the community's initiation of a comprehensive planning process. All planning activities through this program are complemented by a program of training and technical assistance. Technical assistance is targeted not only at facilitating the development of specific projects to address each community's needs, such as affordable or special needs housing, day care centers, educational facilities or primary health care centers, but also at enhancing the capacity of community-based organizations to undertake such projects on their own. Pratt has given scholarships to community development practitioners from each of the four communities, to participate in the Pratt Community Economic Development Internship (PCEDI), a year-long program designed to strengthen the technical and management skills of the staff of community-based organizations. Successful completion of the internship also provides the participants with the opportunity to receive thirty credits advanced standing towards the completion of a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning, an opportunity that many past interns have eagerly pursued. In addition, a rich exchange of information and informal networking has been taking place among the community groups in the four partnership communities, through a series of quarterly forums on community development topics, the development and distribution of case studies and profiles of community groups, and communications outreach via Handsnet and, eventually, through a proposed local community development network. In-depth research projects will be undertaken by Pratt, based upon the needs identified by each community through the planning process. An urban design study of East New York has been completed, employing a multi-disciplinary approach to propose design and development schemes to address some of the community's most pressing needs. Another research project is the design and development of a computerized community information system to assist community-based organizations in gaining access to current information on the physical, social and economic characteristics of their neighborhoods in order to plan and evaluate their community service and development programs. In addition, Pratt will analyze the unmet need for primary health care services in two communities and conduct research on economic development strategies. Finally, Pratt will document the process of community building and seek to establish criteria and tools for evaluating the outcomes. Work Plan In order to carry out its responsibilities under HUD's Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) program, Pratt Institute is employing the research and outreach resources of the Pratt Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (GCPE), the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative (PPAC), the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environment Development (PICCED), and other Pratt departments as required. PICCED is coordinating Pratt's resources to provide an integrated program of participatory comprehensive planning in partnership with four New York City communities that will lead to specific research projects, direct technical assistance, training and capacity building, and information dissemination activities aimed at solving specific problems in these communities. Our efforts will be concentrated in three functional areas: 1. Comprehensive planning The communities with which we are working in partnership are Bedford Stuyvesant, East New York, Southwest Brooklyn (including Red Hook, Gowanus and parts of Sunset Park), and Williamsburg. We have established Community Advisory Committees in each of these communities, building upon the strength and momentum of existing civic structures and neighborhood planning efforts wherever possible. Pratt is working with these committees to create inclusive community-wide planning efforts specifically tailored to the unique set of physical, economic and social condition in each community. As anticipated, the process is moving at a different pace in each community. In Bedford Stuyvesant and Williamsburg, we are supporting and assisting a planning process currently underway; in Southwest Brooklyn, we are assisting in implementation of aspects of a community-based plan recently developed for the area; and in East New York, we are assisting in a coalition building effort to facilitate the community's initiation of a comprehensive planning process. A member of the Pratt staff has been selected to serve as the lead Community Planner in each of the target communities. This planner is responsible for communication with the Community Advisory Committee in developing Pratt's workplan for that community based on the specific needs and priorities identified, and for coordinating the activities of Pratt architects and planners according to the workplan developed. In addition, a senior architect has been assigned to each community to oversee all architectural and design aspects of program implementation. The Project Manager is responsible for coordinating and monitoring activities in the four communities, and for assuring that information is shared between them and disseminated to other COPC projects around the country. The planning process in each community is evolving from and informed by an area-wide asset assessment, needs analysis and community mapping process that engages all the local stakeholders in a collaborative effort. An integral part of this process (and a in-kind support contribution of the GCPE) is the involvement of Pratt graduate planning students. Each semester over the two year COPC program period, a Pratt graduate studio class in Neighborhood Planning will focus on one of the targeted communities, or a sub-part thereof, and develop a detailed comprehensive plan or a specific component of an overall plan. Throughout all phases of planning, from preliminary identification of issues and data collection and analysis, to formulation of development objectives and implementation strategies, Pratt will assist the community in creating strategies to ensure that the process is inclusionary and that it leads community residents and primary stakeholders to develop an ongoing civic process to monitor, evaluate and amend the plan. II. Outreach activities All planning activities will be complemented by a program of training and technical assistance. Efforts to address the communities' needs will result in the identification of specific development sites and projects, such as affordable or special needs housing, day care centers, educational facilities, or primary health care centers. Pratt's direct technical assistance will be targeted not only at helping community-based organizations in the four communities carry out specific development projects, but also at enhancing the skills and capacities of their staff to successfully implement components of the plan on their own. One project that has already been identified is the development of Education Plaza, a community facility envisioned in the Community Board #6 plan for Red Hook that will include a new high school, youth and social service centers, and retail development. Pratt is providing technical assistance in program development and architectural design in support of this non-traditional educational initiative. The project has strong potential to make a substantial contribution to the state of the art of public education in other neighborhoods identified for assistance under this COPC program. As a component of our outreach agenda, Pratt will recruit two community development practitioners from each of the four communities, who will be given scholarships to participate in the Pratt Community Economic Development Internship, a year-long program conducted in five one to two-week residential sessions. The program is designed to strengthen the technical and management skills of senior staff of community-based organizations. A rich exchange of information and informal networking will take place between the community groups in the four partnership communities, through a series of quarterly forums on community development topics, the development and distribution of case studies and profiles of community groups, and communications outreach via the Handsnet nation-wide computer network. Pratt will prepare program updates of innovative approaches to neighborhood revitalization being undertaken in the four COPC communities, as well as more detailed case studies of successful community development initiatives conceived by community development corporations (CDCs) working in the four communities for dissemination to other COPC communities. III. Research activities Urban design studio This component of Pratt's work plan, already completed, employs a multi-disciplinary approach to propose strategies for the overall enhancement of targeted areas of East New York. Pratt architects and planners have prepared a submission for the "Envisioning East New York" study, a competition initiated by the land use committee of Brooklyn Community Board #5 as the focus of this year's Architectural League of New York design study program. Pratt's study proposes design strategies for the development of two areas in East New York, the "north core", a mixed residential, commercial, light industrial and institutional area, and the Livonia/New Lots corridor, an area with a heavy concentration of publicly subsidized housing that is scheduled for additional development of "Nehemiah" rowhouses. The study employs a holistic approach to propose development schemes that will address some of the most pressing economic development, security, housing and recreational needs of the community. It suggests strategies for the overall enhancement of the community through infrastructure improvements and attention to environmental conditions, and provides specific design ideas, including the location and schematic form of buildings and facilities such as housing prototypes, a youth center, community gardens, a farmers market, a performance space for local groups, parks, and small scale retail development near a major transportation interchange. Besides providing extremely useful information for the East New York planning effort, we look at the "Envisioning East New York" study as an exercise in envisioning a generic distressed inner-city neighborhood and believe that many of the design solutions developed to address the problems in East New York will provide useful ideas for all of the COPC communities. Establishing a computerized community information system Pratt is designing a computerized community information system that neighborhood organizations can access as a source of current information on the physical, social and economic characteristics in their neighborhoods in order to plan and evaluate their community service and development programs. This study seeks to overcome the obstacles these organizations face in gaining access to information concerning their communities in order to increase their capacity to be full partners in the redevelopment of their neighborhoods. Pratt is surveying the data needs of community groups, researching the wealth of information currently available electronically through governmental agencies and private vendors, where feasible acquiring the data most commonly requested by community groups, and providing guidance on effectively utilizing this information. Our aim is to create a centralized resource center with a sophisticated inventory of computer analysis tools that will be made available to communities. The community information center will have the following elements to meet the specific needs indicated by the Community Advisory Communities: � demographic data from the U.S. Census � property profiles from the Department of Finance/Assessor's Office � mapping of zoning, infrastructure, and public projects � Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, crime reports, health and vital statistics � program statistics for schools, youth programs, welfare, etc., � base maps and boundary files. Primary health care needs analysis Pratt will carry out a preliminary analysis of unmet need for primary care services in two communities, tentatively Williamsburg and East New York. These communities have expressed concern about the shortage of primary care services. This study will analyze local population characteristics, current and future; analyze the primary health care provider network serving the community; compare demand to supply both current and future; and quantify the extent of unmet need for primary care in order to obtain capital and operating funds for new community-based primary health care centers. Community economic development study Research on economic development strategies will be provided to Southwest Brooklyn, East New York and Bedford Stuyvesant. These strategies will be aimed at retaining existing businesses, attracting new businesses, and increasing entrepreneurial activity and economic opportunity among residents. The study will identify the communities' assets and strengths for engaging in economic activities and propose a plan for their maximization. In addition, it will identify and document the nature and form of capital formation vehicles or strategies needed by and appropriate to each community. Leadership development research This study, covered by matching funds committed from a Leadership Education Initiative grant from the Ford Foundation, will entail documenting the process of community building and seeking to establish criteria and tools for evaluating the outcomes. Existing evaluation tools are not equipped to deal with this process and its outcomes, which cannot be measured in purely quantitative terms. Conclusion At the end of the two year COPC contract period, we hope to have assisted each of the four communities in carrying out a local comprehensive needs analysis and neighborhood planning process; helped them implement specific projects and/or programs identified through this process; increased the capacity of local community-based organizations to plan and implement community development projects on their own; researched issues appropriate for future community-based initiatives based on a thorough analysis of neighborhood needs - physical, social and economic; and helped create an ongoing forum for participatory community planning that will facilitate current and future work in neighborhood revitalization and community renewal in each of these areas. Back to Technical Assistance Page Back to PICCED Home Page [ Education/Training \| Technical Assistance \| Policy/Advocacy \| Resources ]

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