Exploring access to opportunities in Brooklyn: Assess your neighborhood's standing versus others.

In a groundbreaking move, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has released "The 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn," a report aimed at addressing the disparities across the borough's neighbourhoods. The report, which delves into inequities in various subjects such as incarceration rates, fertility rates, earnings, and exposure to environmental hazards, seeks to guide key land-use, housing, economic development, and other important planning decisions.

Reynoso, in a statement, acknowledged that the "Brooklyn brand" that has gained commercial traction worldwide may not accurately reflect the living conditions within the borough. He hopes the report will help ensure a more equitable distribution of resources across Brooklyn neighbourhoods.

The report measures existing conditions in five key areas: education, transit, jobs and job resources, health and active living, and climate risk. It drills down to the census block level to create its own measure for assessing access to opportunity. The map detailing the findings shows dark green in the northwestern parts of the borough, indicating areas with the highest opportunity scores.

Neighbourhoods with the lowest opportunity scores, according to the report, include Coney Island, Canarsie, and Red Hook. However, the worst-rated community in the plan, with the least favorable conditions, is not publicly specified by address or exact location.

Marcel Negret, the director of land use at the Regional Plan Association, suggests that reducing commute times can have a significant impact on residents' quality of life. Meanwhile, urban planner Rebecca Karp considers the plan an "extraordinary body of work."

Barika Williams, from the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development, notes that some neighbourhoods in Brooklyn have a disproportionate share of resources while others are neglected. Reynoso gives an example of not building a new park in a neighbourhood with many parks, a decision often based on politics.

The call to action is to use the information in the plan to advance work that benefits Brooklyn residents. Reynoso hopes the report will help bring about concrete changes such as the equitable distribution of resources like new schools or health centres. The Forum for Youth Investment's interactive Opportunity Index grades Kings County at B-minus.

Urban planner Karp argues that a neighbourhood without good transit can suffer from a lack of economic development. Reynoso echoes this sentiment, stating that the report will help inform development decisions and ensure a more equitable Brooklyn for all.

Exploring access to opportunities in Brooklyn: Assess your neighborhood's standing versus others.