NYC community garden mapping web site

L* L*

Council on the Environment of New York City

For immediate release:					Contact: Lenny Librizzi
March 22, 2001							   212-788-7927   

Community Land Use Planning Tool Available on the World Wide Web

Real Property Data and Mapping Software Shed Light 
on NYC Community Open Space Issues

The Council on the Environment of New York City announces the launch of the NYC Community Garden Mapping 
Project interactive web site.  The maps on the web site show detailed information about community gardens and open 
spaces within the context of their surrounding neighborhoods -e.g., vacant lots, abandoned buildings, schools, housing, 
etc.  The web site is intended for the general public, urban planners, community boards, community gardeners, and 
others interested in New York City land use planning to help inform neighborhood planning and development decisions.  
The web site can be accessed through a link from CENYC's web site, www.cenyc.org, or directly at 
www.cmap.nypirg.org/CENYC/cenycmapsearch.asp?    Hard copies of community maps will soon be available to those 
who do not have access to computers and the internet.

Using any standard browser, users of the NYC Community Garden Mapping Project website can:

·	locate a community garden by borough, community board, zip code, neighborhood or key words; 

·	view information from the NYC Department of Finance about zoning and ownership of specific properties;

·	find information about a community garden including land ownership, open hours, garden programs, 
membership and physical features;

·	zoom in/out of a map and pan around a map to see details based on where you click;

·	send information to CENYC to update/correct map using the feedback button at the bottom of each page.

Funding and technology training/support for the Community Garden Mapping Project has been received by the Council 
on the Environment, Inc. from the Youth, Community Gardens and Urban Environment Initiative of the Philanthropic 
Collaborative, Inc., the Levitt Foundation, the Conservation Technology Support Program, Environmental Systems 
Research Institute and Urban Resources Partnership.

Teams of Americorps volunteers, high school students, community gardeners and others have and will continue to 
check the maps for accuracy and provide data for CENYC to update/correct the database. The following groups have 
assisted in verification of information in the following community boards: the Parks Council (Bronx CB 1), Open Road 
(Manhattan CB 3), Magnolia Tree Earth Center (Brooklyn CB 3), The New York Restoration Project (Brooklyn CB 4 and 
16, and Bronx CB 2), CENYC's Environmental Education Program student interns (Bronx CB 3). 

The Community Garden Mapping Project is a part of OASIS (Open Accessible Space Information Systems), a larger 
internet-based interactive mapping and data analysis application to enhance the stewardship of open space in New 
York City.  OASIS is a cooperative effort of over 30 not-for-profit organizations, city, state and federal agencies, and 
corporations.

The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC), formed in 1970, is a privately funded citizens' organization 
in the Office of the Mayor.  CENYC promotes environmental awareness and solutions to environmental problems.  
Donations are tax deductible and should be made payable to the Council on the Environment, Inc.

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