June 10, 2023, Governors Island – The Racial Impact Study Coalition (RISC) will celebrate the release of New York City’s Equitable Development Data Explorer (EDDE), created by the passage of Local Law 78, and will demonstrate how to use EDDE to increase your influence on planning your community’s future.

Rezonings in New York City’s past have led to  residential and small business displacement, and have dramatically reshaped neighborhoods. People were promised housing and amenities only to discover that they were not a part of the vision for their communities promoted by developers and City officials. So people fought back on the streets and in the halls of government. 

One positive outcome of the many fights for more just rezonings is Local Law 78 of 2021, an important step toward democratizing New York City’s land use policies and an historic reform that is a model for other cities plagued by high rents, routine evictions, and epic homelessness.

Local Law 78 is the product of three years of citywide organizing by RISC and the leadership of the New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, and the then Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Chair Adrienne Adams, who now serves as  Council Speaker.

Thanks to Local Law 78, for the first time, New Yorkers have a tool that will help them to visualize disparities across communities as well as to evaluate potential development proposals. The EDDE can help close  the gap between what New Yorkers want to know about a proposed development and what information they have on-hand. The EDDE can also be used for planning by community boards and advocates to help advance support for their needs and causes. 

RISC believes that the EDDE and the Racial Equity Reports that are also required of land use applicants can be used by New Yorkers to help build a more just city, advance fair housing, and equip communities with the data needed to shape more responsive development proposals as proposals move through the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure or  ULURP. 

Join RISC on Saturday, June 10 to learn how to use the EDDE to strengthen your voice in shaping the future of your communities. Food and drinks will be provided, along with interpretation. For more information and to RSVP, please email: racialimpactstudycoalition@gmail.com.