Candidate Name: Dianne Morales

Office Campaigning for: Mayor

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR POSITION ON THE ROLE OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.

Public green spaces are an important part of my overall approach to climate and housing justice. This campaign believes New York City can and should be a global leader on climate change resilience and adaptation. We can do it by prioritizing and investing in public green spaces and urban community gardens, green jobs, and by the retrofitting of our infrastructure and housing to provide the employment and social projects we urgently need now and into the future. We will team up with city and state efforts to make NYC an inspiration and template for Green New Deal mobilizations across the country.

In addition to prioritizing public green spaces, my administration will also expand and make permanent the Open Streets program. We know that accessible public use space, generates a greater sense of community and sends a message that people are welcome. Mega corporations and large retailers understand this and have successfully leveraged their power to get City Hall to make changes that are good for their businesses. As mayor I will do this for every neighborhood, not with focus on commercialization, but because our public spaces, from our open streets to our community gardens, are where we meet our neighbors, celebrate our cultures and connect with our community - and because local, accessible public gathering spaces are key components of healthy, thriving communities.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR POSITION ON HOW THE CITY PRIORITIZES PUBLIC OPEN GREEN SPACE AND HOW COMMUNITY GARDENS ARE OFTEN PITTED AGAINST THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

My administration will ensure that green space and community gardens are never pitted against affordable housing. They are both essential parts of truly livable neighborhoods.
Our housing for all initiative will fight to decrease and stabilize rents, take housing development and land significantly off the speculative market, and instead build quality needs-based, mixed-income housing similar to the Vienna model. We would also implement a better use of land and existing space policy that includes a land value tax for vacant and blighted land to discourage speculation. Through the use of land banks, community land trusts, and cooperative housing models, my administration will democratize housing to meet New Yorker’s needs and not simply to profit off of space and real estate.

Community gardens also play a critical role in an integrated and holistic approach to food justice. We must reshape NYC policies toward large scale poverty reduction, secure housing, the reduction and eventual elimination of unemployment, and access to nutrition. I would reduce barriers to food assistance as well as invest in more direct community food production through urban gardens, waste reduction systems, food upcycling, and the support of local farmers--especially those in Black and Brown communities--and by expanding food and consumer cooperative and mutual aid systems in service of the most food insecure.

HAVE YOU EVER VISITED ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE.

I have not had the privilege of visiting the space yet, but I’ve heard lovely things about it and am enjoying the pictures I’ve viewed. Visiting would not change my stance on the issue one way or the other, but I am looking forward to scheduling a trip when the weather turns warmer.

WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE ALTERNATIVE SITE SOLUTION THAT WOULD USE 388 HUDSON — A GRAVEL- FILLED, CITY-OWNED LOT — TO PROVIDE UP TO 5X THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OPEN SPACE WHILE SAVING ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN?

City-owned property, particularly lots and buildings that are unused, should be priority when it comes to addressing our current housing crisis. Housing and public spaces in a city as population-dense as ours should never be pitted against one another. 388 Hudson is an opportunity to provide a greater amount of housing and develop additional public space. It is a conflict created by real estate interests that have no place in deciding how we resolve our obligations to ensure housing and quality of life to all New Yorkers. This would be an easy, logical choice without the smokescreen of special interests.

ESG CURRENTLY HAS A PENDING LAWSUIT TO SAVE THE GARDEN LED BY ATTORNEY NORMAN SIEGEL. IF THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED BEFORE THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION, ONCE IN OFFICE, HOW WOULD YOU WORK WITH ESG TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN?

I will do whatever it takes to protect and preserve public gardens, parks and other spaces throughout my time as mayor. No matter how the city grows or expands, we must preserve public space.

IF ELECTED, WOULD YOU SUPPORT ESG'S PLAN TO SAVE THE GARDEN AS A CONSERVATION LAND TRUST? PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW ESG'S FUTURE PLANS FOR SAVING THE GARDEN AS A CONSERVATION LAND TRUST, NYC PARK, OR GREENTHUMB GARDEN HERE: HTTPS://WWW.ELIZABETHSTREETGARDEN.COM/FUTURE

Yes

IF YOU ANSWERED "NO" TO THE ABOVE QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY.

N/A

IF ELECTED, WOULD YOU COMMIT TO SAVING ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN IN PERPETUITY?

Yes

IF YOU ANSWERED "NO" TO THE ABOVE QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY.

N/A