2013 Yolanda Garcia Community Planner Award Nominations Now Open

Vin Cipolla, president of The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), and Jessica Clemente, executive director of We Stay/Nos Quedamos, today announced the opening of the nomination period for the 2013 Yolanda Garcia Community Planner Award. This award acknowledges the hard-working leaders of grassroots, community-based, participatory planning. It was created to commemorate Yolanda Garcia, a community activist in the South Bronx.

Under Ms. Garcia's leadership, the residents of Melrose challenged the city, created an alternative to an urban renewal plan, and transformed a neighborhood. The organization created by Ms. Garcia, We Stay/Nos Quedamos, is bringing that community's vision to life through sustainable planning, design, construction, and programming. This year We Stay/Nos Quedamos will be celebrating their 20th year of community entrenchment and advocacy. We Stay/Nos Quedamos will be commemorating this special milestone with many events and community beautification projects throughout the year, culminating with the presentation of the award at the MAS Summit and additional recognition at the We Stay/Nos Quedamos grand 20th Anniversary Gala.

Since 2007, MAS has awarded this honor to grassroots community-based planners including Kelley Williams, executive director of Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council; Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE); Jeanne DuPont, executive director of the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance; and Fran Goldin, founding member of the Cooper Square Committee and a lifelong advocate for the Lower East Side.

Criteria
The award will be presented to an individual who embodies the spirit of the work of Yolanda Garcia and We Stay/Nos Quedamos. Nominees should have demonstrated an ability to overcome the many obstacles to grassroots, community-based planning and should have succeeded in bringing neighborhood need and vision into New York City's planning process. The award recipient must:
--Work on a placed-based community plan aimed at addressing local needs, limiting displacement, and improving the overall quality of life for neighborhood residents
--Be a self-taught planner (with no formal academic or professional training as a planner)
--Work in a low- to moderate-income community within NYC's five boroughs
--Use an inclusive, community-driven approach that values participation and the use of local knowledge
--Have a proactive approach to planning focusing not only on advocacy, but the actual creation and implementation of a community-based plan.

The selection committee includes Tom Angotti, professor of Urban Affairs & Planning, Hunter College/CUNY; Jessica Clemente, executive director, We Stay/Nos Quedamos; Ron Shiffman, professor, Pratt Institute; Kelley Williams, executive director, Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council; and Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director, UPROSE.

To nominate an exceptional community planner, go to http://masnyc.wufoo.com/forms/2013-yolanda-garcia-community-planner-award/. Nominations will be accepted until April 19, 2013.