Neighborhood Partners Program
Starting in November 2007, HDC launched its newest
initiative, the Neighborhood Partners Program.
The program’s goal is to create broad, citywide connections
between community groups in order to form a unified preservation
voice. Making each organization understand that the issues that
directly affect them are in fact relevant to a citywide audience
is pivotal to the creation of a cohesive alliance of supporters
and activists. This process will also help community groups learn
from strategies and tactics that have proved successful elsewhere
in the city before undertaking new initiatives in their own areas.
With its constituency of more than 500 community-based organizations,
HDC is the ideal candidate to bring together the diverse voices
interested in neighborhood-driven preservation.
HDC’s new Community Coordinator, the staff member overseeing
this program, is currently scheduling meetings with community
groups around the city, from affordable housing organizations
in The Bronx to historical societies on Staten Island. These meetings
allow HDC to learn in greater depth about the current activities
and priorities of each group and to identify possibilities for
collaboration between the Partner’s priorities and HDC’s
priorities. For a full list of Neighborhood Partner organizations,
please click here.
As part of the program, HDC is hosting Monday Morning Coffee Talks,
monthly preservation roundtables which bring together community
groups from across the city to discuss a broad agenda of concerns,
highlighting those that Neighborhood Partners have identified
as most important to them. These roundtables serve a valuable
purpose in allowing the preservation community to be more proactive
rather than waiting for crises to arise. Visit the official Coffee
Talk page to learn about upcoming program.
Some of the additional benefits to the Neighborhood
Partner program include:
- Strategic Advice about local landmark designation, rezoning
initiatives, community organizing, preservation-related tax
credit programs, partnerships with elected officials, and smart
growth ideas
- Special Workshops and Community Meetings with experts and
decision-makers about preservation and development issues
- Publications and resources like “Creating an Historic
District,” HDC’s signature publication; “Frequently
Asked Questions About the Landmarks Process,” an easy
to understand guide to local preservation; and “Community
as Classroom,” a practical manual for teachers.
- Planning Sessions for preservation initiatives like National
Register of Historic Places nominations and cultural resource
surveys
- Opportunity to broaden bases of support by allying with other
Partner organizations
- Increased Visibility on HDC’s website and blog with
information and links to partner organizations
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