Land Use and Preservation
A Greener New York City. Necessary counterpoints to our concrete jungle are green spaces where members of the community and their families can decompress, enjoy nature, and exercise. Accordingly, every New Yorker should live within a 10-minute walk of a safe, well-maintained park. In order to achieve this goal, Aaron will secure much-needed funding to maintain our parks and ensure that they remain the vibrant and safe places that benefit our communities.
Preserve Historic Districts. New York City contains a number of historic neighborhoods, including SoHo, Chinatown, Harlem, Inwood, City Island, Concourse-Yankee Stadium, Belmont, Riverdale, Astoria, Flushing, Howard Beach, Jamaica Estates, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Coney Island, St. George, and Richmondtown. We need to strengthen land-use regulations to preserve small businesses and to protect the integrity of historic buildings, sites, and neighborhoods. We must preserve the character of our neighborhoods and make sure that they remain affordable for all local residents.
Parking in Commercial Hubs. Short-term street parking is supposed to be readily available in commercial hubs, such as Chinatown, Downtown Brooklyn, Bay Ridge, Flushing, and Queensboro Plaza. I will fight to improve access to such parking spots. The quick turnover of street parking ensures that customers of local businesses are able to park, shop, and exit the space within several hours to make space for the next customer. Unfortunately, all too often, street parking is over-utilized by municipal vehicles and individuals misusing parking placards, thus robbing small businesses of the ability to bring in car-based customers.
Revitalize Manhattan’s Historic Chinatown. Under our current administration, businesses in Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown have been struggling, even before the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. In addition, local Chinatown residents are being priced out and forced to move out of Manhattan. Meanwhile, other Chinese-populated areas in Brooklyn and Queens have been growing. I will fight for New York City to invest in the revitalization of Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown, which is vital to the local economy and in driving tourism to our City.