Community-Based Planning - Department of City Planning

One of the formal ways to develop a community-based plan is set out in Section 197-a of the City Charter, which authorizes community boards and borough boards, along with the Mayor, the City Planning Commission (the "Commission"), the Department of City Planning ("DCP"), and any Borough President, to sponsor plans for the development, growth, and improvement of the city, its boroughs and communities. Once approved by the Commission and adopted by the City Council, 197-a plans guide future actions of city agencies in the areas addressed in the plans. Neighborhood or civic groups within the larger community may draft a 197-a plan, but they must be approved, sponsored, and submitted by a community board, borough board, or borough president. A DCP illustrated description of the 197-a plans process explains how this works in simple terms.

DCP provides technical assistance to help 197-a sponsors meet standards for form, content and sound planning policy for proposed 197-a plans (known as "threshold standards") as set out in the Rules for the Processing of Plans Pursuant to Charter Section 197-a. In addition to the threshold standards, the rules outline procedures and a timetable for the 197-a process. DCP's 197-a Plan Technical Guide provides useful "how-to" instructions and a description of the kinds of analyses most relevant to typical planning issues. The guide may also help community boards determine whether a 197-a plan is the most appropriate vehicle for addressing their issues. Both the Rules and the Guide can be purchased at the City Planning Bookstore.

Review of 197-a plans occurs in two stages. The first stage, the threshold review, is conducted by the Department of City Planning and the City Planning Commission to ensure that a plan is complete, coherent and properly documented before it is reviewed on its merits. The second stage, substantive review, allows for community board, borough president, City Planning Commission and City Council consideration of the plan's objectives, policies and proposals. The process may culminate in approval of the plan as submitted, approval as modified by the City Planning Commission and/or the City Council, or disapproval.

Taking a 197-a plan from inception to adoption is a lengthy process and requires the continuing commitment of its sponsors even after adoption to ensure successful implementation. With that commitment, an appropriate set of objectives and a realistic outlook, a community board may find the 197-a process well worth the effort.

To date, twelve 197-a plans have been adopted: ten were sponsored by community boards; one by a borough president and one by the Department of City Planning. One plan has been disapproved and one withdrawn. One community board has officially submitted a 197-a plan that is currently under review.