Photo by Sheng Lin

In conversation with Think!Chinatown’s photo exhibition, “A Place for Us: Reflections from Chinatown / 我們的歸宿”, T!C will host a roundtable discussion on the findings of the recently published Chinatown Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA) report.  The report and its key findings will be presented by Yin Kong, T!C’s Director, followed by a roundtable discussion with city officials and local leadership. The event will be an opportunity for urbanists, community activists, city agencies, and community development organizations to engage directly with one another to advance neighborhood-centered change.

From the grit of Mom & Pop legacy businesses to the joys of reclaiming public spaces, the exhibition touches on the many strengths, challenges and opportunities that lie within Chinatown. Through interviews, surveys, focus groups, on-the-ground observations and deep-rooted research, Think!Chinatown gathered perspectives from Chinatown’s business owners, consumers and other community members. In Cantonese, Mandarin and English, we were able to discuss these topics with the network of community members we’ve built trust with over our years of arts and storytelling programming in the neighborhood. More than just a report, we see this publication as a step towards self-representation within the process of city-making — a process in which the Chinatown community has historically lacked autonomy. We invite your participation in this discussion to better address opportunities and challenges identified through this assessment.

We’ll discuss: 

• Chinatown’s ecosystem of family-owned property and heritage businesses 

• The significance of street vending in our community and the challenges street vendors face

• Connectivity and circulation issues (i.e. Park Row, Allen Street Mall, Manhattan Bridge, Confucius Plaza)

• Cultural activations of our public spaces

• The many challenges of community engagement in Chinatown

The Commercial District Needs Assessment is the culmination of a year-long process of listening and research. Commissioned by the NYC Dept of Small Business Services, Think!Chinatown along with the Chinatown BID, provided on the ground research to create this comprehensive neighborhood report. This report identifies the many strengths, challenges, and opportunities to optimize Chinatown's potential.

ABOUT OUR PANELISTS

Alice Liu is a second generation business owner of Grand Tea & Imports, and SBS AveNYC Program Manager + Community Outreach Lead at Think!Chinatown. Native to NYC’s Chinatown, she grew up helping her parents, who emigrated from China, run their family business in the neighborhood. As a second generation small business owner, longtime resident, and active member of the community, Alice is deeply passionate about the intergenerational economic and cultural vitality of Chinatown.

Jan Lee is a third generation resident of Chinatown and manager of his family’s property on Mott Street. He has owned numerous businesses over the years including a hand laundry, a dry cleaner, a boutique, and famous Chinatown coffee shoppe, “Lonnie’s.

Deborah Marton is Executive Director of Van Alen Institute, an independent non-profit working to create equitable cities through inclusive design. A leading voice on the intersection of environmental and social justice, she was previously Executive Director of New York Restoration Project, where she completed fulfillment of the private sector commitment to plant a million trees as part of New York City’s MillionTreesNYC initiative and lead creation and/or renovation of more than 50 community garden spaces throughout New York City’s most under resourced communities.

Andrew Marcus is currently the Director of Neighborhood Planning at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS). In this role he manages SBS’ portfolio of commercial revitalization grants and place-based planning projects that aim to strengthen and revitalize the streets, small businesses, and community-based organizations that anchor New York City neighborhoods. Andrew worked directly with Think!Chinatown and the Chinatown BID on the Chinatown Commercial District Needs Assessment, and his family has roots on the Lower East Side. Andrew has a BA in mathematics and physics from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, and he is currently completing his Masters Degree in Urban Planning at Hunter. Andrew is a lifelong New Yorker and proud product of the NYC public school system.

Emily Weidenhof is the Director of Public Space at NYC DOT working closely with community organizations throughout the five boroughs to transform their streets as public space. Her focus for over a decade has been the role of the public realm in strengthening communities from plazas and shared streets to retooling the curb lane to innovative programming and concessions. Emily led on the creation of pandemic response program to support neighborhoods and businesses citywide including Open Restaurants and Open Streets. Most recently Emily helped evolve Open Streets into a permanent program and developed a series of public realm design strategies that have transformed corridors like 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights and initiated the larger pedestrian-priority district study effort in Lower Manhattan.

This event is organized in partnership with the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute, and with support from the Department of Small Business Services.

Thank you to our beverage sponsors Sanzo and Brooklyn Brewery!