Advocacy
Chinatown’s survival depends on our community’s ability to advocate for equity in resources and for effective community engagement.
T!C harnesses the energy of our multi-talented and multi-lingual volunteer corps to support what we love about Chinatown. This year, we are focusing on an issue-based approach to civic engagement in Chinatown. We have so many layers of governance in our neighborhood, different city agencies and elected officials to engage with, yet no clear path for our neighbors to have their voices heard. With the disparity of Covid-relief in our neighborhood, the mega-jail plan on 125 White Street, the need to restore our community center after the fire at 70 Mulberry, the state of disrepair of Allen Street Mall, the ever growing pressures on local small businesses, and the gaping distance between city offices and the voices of our neighbors, T!C is planning a busy year to address these issues the best way we know how... to completely nerd out on civic engagement!
70 Mulberry
This historic building located in the heart of Chinatown was significantly damaged by fire this past January, leaving its five non-profit tenants homeless. Previously PS23, this building is owned by the City and administered by DCAS (Department of Citywide Administrative Services). The community has struggled for transparency & information from the Mayor and DCAS as demolition has already begun and a full demolition permit has been obtained. Community members held a rally demanding DCAS to stop demolition and preserve the facade.
COVID-19 SUPPORT
We have been creating & compiling bilingual info on legal issues, grants & loans for businesses & organizations in our neighborhood. We also have recommendations on how to support our community during its recovery.
Mega-jail @ 125 White Street
The City has proposed to build a 300 ft tall mega-jail in addition to the existing jails in Chinatown which would result in a decade of demolition and construction. With the closure of Rikers Island Correctional Facility, the Mayor plans to build 4 borough-based jails. This plan’s unprecedented ULURP process combining 4 locations into 1 process has led to massive failures in community engagement.
T!C Community engagement workshops
Designing for Chinatown
When designers are tasked with public projects for our neighborhood, where do they start? What visual references should they draw on? What does it mean to design for Chinatown? Bamboo, dragons, the color red… how do we go beyond tropes to study the aesthetics of Chinatown. See the panel discussion
CreateNYC
Think!Chinatown designed and facilitated a multi-dialect workshop to ensure that Chinatown's voice was included in the city-wide, Create NYC Culture Plan. Watch the video