Open Space Dialogues: Reconstructing the Capital Process

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Williamsbridge Oval, Lyons Square Playground, Estella Diggs Park: all were constructed or renovated in major capital projects recently. The ribbon-cutting of a park opening is one of the most joyous sights in New York City, but the process to get to that celebratory moment is sometimes lengthy, expensive, and confusing. When NY4P released a report in 2014 on capital projects management, anecdotal concerns about parks capital projects coalesced into a citywide conversation. Since then, NYC Parks has improved their operations. Alongside, political pressure and the growth of resident-involvement programs, like Participatory Budgeting, have ratcheted up New Yorkers’ expectations of the speed, public involvement, quality, and cost-efficiency of parks capital projects. The time is ripe to consider the successes, as well as the room for improvement, in New York City’s parks capital process.

• What has NYC Parks done to improve the process? What is outside their scope?
• What are public expectations of funding, designing, assigning, and building park projects?
• What can be learned by looking at public-private partnerships?
• How can the capital process be more equitable?

Presenters

Sue Donoghue, President & Park Administrator, Prospect Park Alliance

Diane Jackier, Chief of Capital Strategic Initiatives, NYC Parks

Charles McKinney, Practical Visionary

Respondents

Celeste Frye, Founder & CEO, Public Works Partners

Jennifer Godenzo, Senior Director, Participatory Budgeting Project

Moderator

Eli Dvorkin, Editorial & Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future

Doors open at 6:00 pm. Program starts at 6:30 pm.

This event will be livestreamed by CityLand from the New York Law School's Center for New York City Law. The livestream will play from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, and will then be uploaded as a video.

2019-2020 Open Space Dialogues

Open Space Dialogues: Reconstructing the Capital Process is the first panel of the 2019-2020 Open Space Dialogues. Expect an evening of provocative presentations and discussion created by New Yorkers for Parks and New York Law School. This event is graciously hosted by The Center for New York City Law and The Impact Center for Public Interest Law at New York Law School.

Contact lrobson@ny4p.org with questions.