Harlem’s WE ACT Responds To ONENYC, The Plan For Strong And Just City That Lunches Today

Mayor Bill de Blasio today launched the comprehensive effort to update and expand the city’s long-term strategy, One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City (OneNYC). Originally released in 2015 as the world’s first resilience strategy and a model for sustainable development, OneNYC provided a blueprint for tackling New York City’s most significant challenges—population growth, aging infrastructure, increasing inequality, an evolving economy, and climate change. Now, to launch the 2019 OneNYC update, the City will begin a digital listening tour to engage New Yorkers and solicit ideas on new strategies to address the city’s greatest challenges.

The Mayor has appointed Daniel Zarrilli to lead this effort, which will include an exchange of ideas with New Yorkers, civic and community leaders, and experts across the globe. The City will deliver an updated OneNYC strategy in April 2019 that will reassess key challenges and develop the goals and associated initiatives to address them.

“NYC faces global challenges like climate change and inequality that require innovative solutions. OneNYC has already shown us the value of setting a bold vision and following through to improve the lives of New Yorkers. Now, we will go further,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Daniel Zarrilli has been critical to OneNYC and will bring his deep experience to the effort to expand that strategy and carry those climate and resilience lessons across the region and around the globe.”

“New Yorkers understand that resiliency is about more than storm protections – it’s about growing a more fair, equitable and sustainable city. The next phase of OneNYC will work with communities across the five boroughs to ensure we’re building sustainability and to ensure we’re stronger when the next storm hits. I want to thank Dan Zarrilli for leading the way on this gravely important effort,” said First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan.

“The work we are undertaking today will impact the way New Yorkers live for the next century, especially as we face severe weather events,” said Deputy Mayor Anglin. “With OneNYC, we are taking a bold and holistic approach to ensure that New York’s infrastructure is smarter, safer, and more resilient for generations to come.”

“Sustainability efforts will do more than determine the future of our planet. They’re also the future of our workforce,” said Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson. “Dealing with hotter summers, rising ocean levels and shifting weather patterns are big challenges – but also opportunities for New Yorkers to offer solutions.”

“The challenges of the 21st century are upon us and cities like New York are at the forefront of solving them,” said Daniel Zarrilli, Director, OneNYC and NYC’s Chief Climate Policy Advisor. “That’s why it’s so critical that we deepen the work of OneNYC and help bring the climate and resilience lessons of New York City to the rest of the globe.”

To deliver an updated OneNYC strategy, the City will hear from New Yorkers in all five boroughs and stakeholders across the region as we seek to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. Starting today, New Yorkers can go to nyc.gov/OneNYC and offer their suggestions on challenges that the updated strategy should address and solutions that the strategy should include. The City also intends to partner with stakeholders and community organizations citywide to develop a shared vision and initiatives that will guide New York City for the coming decades, consistent with Local Law 84 (2013).

Learn more about the OneNYC  here and here.

In addition, Zarrilli will lead the City’s global climate partnerships to leverage OneNYC and NYC’s global climate leadership to build further momentum regionally, nationally, and internationally for action in support of the Paris Agreement through city-to-city networks and other global climate forums and partnerships. In this role, he will lead the City’s engagement with global climate efforts in support of deep decarbonization, resilience and inclusive climate action, fossil fuel divestment, and climate accountability actions that can be taken by cities across the country and around the globe.

New York City continues to lead the globe in the fight against climate change and is an active participant and leader in the global climate agenda. In the last four years, NYC has committed to an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 and was the first city to align itself with the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement. At the same time, NYC is investing over $20 billion to adapt our neighborhoods to climate change risks such as flooding, heat, and sea level rise. And New York City is taking the fight straight to the fossil fuel industry for their role in creating this climate crisis by divesting the City’s pension funds from fossil fuels and suing the five investor-owned fossil fuel companies most responsible for climate change.

“Planning for a sustainable and equitable future takes a village – actually an entire city. Listening to all voices is key to identifying new strategies to make New York even stronger and fairer. Let’s use the OneNYC process to make us smarter and more inclusive,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago.

“OneNYC is a groundbreaking model of sustainable development, and Dan has been an extraordinary partner in our efforts to share the vision of Mayor de Blasio and to showcase the best practices of New York City with cities around the world, especially on climate,” said Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs. “Our Global Vision|Urban Action program highlights the synergies between OneNYC and the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to show how New York City leads on the local level to implement the global agenda for sustainability, inclusion and equality. We look forward to working with Dan in his new role as we continue our efforts to amplify NYC’s global leadership throughout the international community.”

“Since 2015, OneNYC has served as a blueprint for making our city a more equitable place for all its residents,” said Emily W. Newman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “OneNYC is already a great example of how cross-agency coordination can improve our city. Further engaging the public and hearing from a diverse group of voices will continue the evolution of OneNYC’s vision of a fairer, more resilient city.”

“With a federal administration bent on destroying decades of environmental policy, it is paramount New York City lead the rest of the nation in combating the effects of climate change,” said Council Member Costa Constantinides, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection. “I look forward to a continued partnership with Dan and the Mayor’s Office as it engages long-forgotten communities who need clean air reforms the most. Extreme weather and rising sea levels aren’t stopping, so we must endeavor to protect New York City from the next big storm.”

“Bravo to Mayor Bill de Blasio for naming Daniel Zarrilli to head the next round of NYC’s grand strategy for sustainable development, OneNYC. Under the Mayor’s leadership, with Zarrilli’s visionary support, NYC is boldly charting a world-leading path to 21st century jobs, environmental sustainability, affordable healthcare and housing, and a high quality of life for all New Yorkers,” said Jeffrey Sachs, University Professor at Columbia University, Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and OneNYC Advisory Board Co-Chair.

“As we face an increasingly fractured national and global context, an update to OneNYC is critical to help the City achieve sustainability and equity goals that also foster continued economic growth – no simple task. Daniel Zarrilli is just the right leader to spearhead this effort. As the OneNYC Advisory Board co-Chair, we are thrilled to support the Mayor’s efforts to update the plan to address the emerging challenges,” said Larisa Ortiz, OneNYC Advisory Board Co-Chair.

“Daniel Zarrilli played a crucial role in New York City’s pivotal fossil fuel divestment; he’s an excellent choice to help keep the Big Apple at the forefront of the climate fight!” said Bill McKibben, Founder, 350.org.

“New York City’s groundbreaking approach to incorporating equity into its OneNYC strategy for inclusive growth and climate action is world leading. NYC’s actions to cut GHGs, adapt to changes underway, and hold fossil fuel companies accountable demonstrate true climate leadership. I am delighted that Daniel Zarrilli has taken leadership of the effort to renew OneNYC. His deep experience in turning climate plans into successful action and his leadership in engaging New Yorkers to help build solutions is exactly what is needed at this critical moment,” said David Miller, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

“I hope New Yorkers will heed the call to submit their creative recommendations for climate resilience and a more equitable city. An effective OneNYC strategy needs a shared vision with its neighborhoods of the challenges that communities face from climate change and the increasing inequities experienced by people of color and low income in our city,” said Peggy Shepard, Executive Director of (Harlem’s) WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

“I hope New Yorkers will heed the call to submit their creative recommendations for climate resilience and a more equitable city. An effective OneNYC strategy needs a shared vision with its neighborhoods of the challenges that communities face from climate change and the increasing inequities experienced by people of color and low income in our city,” said Peggy Shepard, Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

“New York City continues to be a leader in addressing the twin challenges of climate change and inequality. The update to the OneNYC strategy in 2019 offers a chance for the city to deepen its commitment to environmental justice and improving the lives of all New Yorkers. Daniel Zarrilli has shown the ability to work with communities across the five boroughs and NEJA is happy to support his appointment to lead the OneNYC update,” said Eddie Bautista, Executive Director, NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA).

“OneNYC represents a model urban sustainability agenda, addressing the core issues of resilience, transportation and economic development in a manner that is responsive to the needs and priorities of our rapidly changing economy. Daniel Zarrilli has built consensus among diverse groups and the business community has confidence in his ability to lead the development of the OneNYC plan,” said Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City.

“The future of New York City requires smart investment in our city’s infrastructure and in our people. OneNYC has been a critical component of Mayor de Blasio’s efforts to address inequality in New York City and Daniel Zarrilli has been an effective partner to labor as we work to train the workforce of the future. The building trades are proud to support his appointment to this important role,” said Gary LaBarbera, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.

“I am thrilled that Mayor de Blasio has charged Daniel Zarrilli with the critical task of overseeing OneNYC, the City’s long-term strategy. Dan has shown a true appreciation for the value nonprofit human services organizations bring to ensuring communities across the City are resilient. I very much look forward to continuing efforts to strengthen the partnership between nonprofits and government to allow the City of New York to better leverage the many assets of these critical entities,” said Allison Sesso, Executive Director, Human Services Council of New York.

“Updating New York City’s world-leading sustainability and resilience strategy is an important task for every New Yorker’s future. Daniel Zarrilli is a great choice to ensure that New York has a far-sighted, ambitious, and yet achievable plan for making this city safe and prosperous for all its people over the long term,” said Rohit T. Aggarwala, Head of Urban Systems, Sidewalk Labs, and former Director of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, New York City.

“OneNYC provides a roadmap for a more fair, prosperous, sustainable and healthy future. It demonstrates that sustainability is an environmental issue – and so much more. OneNYC and RPA’s Fourth Regional Plan are working towards the same goals, and we look forward to engaging with Daniel Zarrilli and his team as they embark on important efforts to fix our transit system and relieve traffic congestion; to cut greenhouse gas emissions and shift to cleaner, renewable sources of energy; to make housing more affordable by building more of it and repairing our existing stock of public housing; and to prepare our communities for more extreme weather and rising sea levels,” said Tom Wright, President and Chief Executive Officer, Regional Plan Association.

“As the world’s first citywide Resilience Strategy, OneNYC represents a pioneering effort to marry equity and climate action. We remain committed partners as New York City continues along its resilience journey and are excited to see what version 2.0 produces,” said Michael Berkowitz, President, 100 Resilient Cities — Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation.