Have you ever taken a thoughtful look into your neighborhood and wondered how you could make a change today? Whether that be small things like lowering the prices for groceries, or redesigning your community, helping it be a cleaner place.
The Department of City Planning (DCP) has partnered with The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology to make a class for seniors where students can talk about what they want to see improved in their city and then try to make that change happen. The projects range from urban design, housing, transportation, and community sustainability and culminate in a presentation in front of DCP members at the school.
“I like that it’s something we get to see in our community. It’s going to have an effect on our future generations and we get to learn about how important we are into the conversations of like big projects, and how we should have a voice in these kinds of things,” said Katherine Paredes (Class of 2026) who is taking the DCP class this year.
Teachers also see the positive nature of students trying to affect change through this partnership with the DCP.
“I am so so excited to teach it because it gives students an actual hands on practice making change for their community learning about how government truly functions at every level from community member to elective official to all the organizations that support in between to make actual change,” said Ms. Devore who leads HS223’s partnership effort along with Ms. Lynah and Ms. Jimenez.
The DCP class focuses on 4 different types of categories of lessons which are, urban planning, urban design, decision making, and advocacy. Students then create a projects based around what NY was like in certain time periods. These topics allow students to understand the key points of how a city is planned and the necessary action they need to take when planning.
“ I hope it teaches about current gentrification cause like that’s a big thing going on right now and I just want to see that being addressed,” said Katherine.
Students learn that New York City as a whole has been gentrified and the Bronx is one of the places that have yet fallen to gentrification. Parts of it are starting to change and it shows near 2401 3rd Ave (or 2385 3rd Ave) in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. While outside forces work to change our community to make its outlook more modern, it drives up rent, taxes and property value which displaces long-term residents.
On April 14 the Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson visited the senior class to inspire them for their presentation before their big day. On April 16, the DCP staff, Paul Philips, Sideya Sherman, and many more other organizations came together at the 223’s library where 75 seniors presented their DCP proposals.
“We converted the area into something similar to “Little Island” in Manhattan. A place where the train passes but also where the residents/anyone can come and sit by. We decided to work in this area because it’s an unstable place that needs some Bronx Love,” said Andribel Cruz (Class of 2026) who presented her proposal on changes she wants on the Grand Concourse Metronorth railroad junction.
Other groups proposed building more affordable housing in the Bronx.
Kemberly Loja is another student whose topic was on Borough based jail, their group proposed building more affordable housing in the Bronx. She shared her thoughts on the visit,
“Having the Bronx Borough President visit at our school as help me deepen my understanding of a community and it shaped what I wanted to study in the future, it made me care about the change I can make within my community, said Kemberly Loja (Class of 2026).
Overall the DCP unit and presentation was not only a class or presentation for many students, it was a chance for them to make their voice be heard mostly about what was affecting their community and actually find solutions to those problems. Getting to speak directly to DCP including Director of the DCP Paul Philips hopefully makes them inspired to improve the South Bronx.
