"Ideas for Creating a Stronger and More Equitable Bronx"
A Center for an Urban Future Policy Symposium

Replay of the event
Event materials

On February 6, 2025, more than 240 people attended or tuned in to the Center for an Urban Future’s policy forum, “Ideas for Creating a Stronger and More Equitable Bronx.” The unique half-day event, laser-focused on generating ideas for the Bronx’s future, included a fireside chat with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and a panel discussion featuring several of the Bronx’s elected officials—including Council Member Althea Stevens and Assembly Members Amanda Septimo, Karines Reyes, and Emérita Torres. Held at Hostos Community College’s Repertory Theater, it also featured eight three-minute idea pitches from community leaders, nonprofit practitioners, artists, and entrepreneurs from across the borough; a high-level panel discussion featuring four Bronx-based policy experts and community leaders; and a thirty-minute session in which more than a dozen audience members from the Bronx shared their idea for creating a stronger and more equitable borough. 

The event built on our February 2024 report, 50 Ideas for a Stronger and More Equitable Bronx, which featured ideas for the borough’s future from a diverse mix of 50 exceptional leaders from across the Bronx. ​

The full replay of the event is available here. 

The event generated dozens of interesting ideas for creating a stronger and more equitable Bronx. The three-minute ideas pitches from Bronx-based leaders included:

• Pilot a “Shoot Cameras Not Guns” program to channel young Bronx residents into film careers and reduce violence.
  - Rocky Bucano, Founder and Executive Director, The Hip Hop Museum
• Address the older adult housing crisis by turning under-used NYCHA apartments into shared living spaces for seniors.
  - Anderson Torres, President and CEO, R.A.I.N. Total Care
• Create a cross-cultural apprenticeship that pairs emerging immigrant artists with established Bronx-based artists.
  - Sándie Luna, Executive Director, ID Studio Theater Performance and Research Center
• Develop a multi-year plan to get every Bronx student to read on grade level.
  - Sarah Johnson, CEO, Teaching Lab
• Provide stipends that help Bronx residents afford to enroll and persist in skills training programs.
  - Debbie Roman, New York Managing Director, Per Scholas
• Expand the Bronx People’s Federal Credit Union by fixing the NYS Community Development Financial Institution fund.
  - Kerry A. McLean, Vice President of Community Development, WHEDco
• Launch a major initiative to beautify the Bronx.
  - Yasmin Cruz, Executive Director, Westchester Square BID
• Boost the availability of mental health care for parents and guardians.
  - Ebony Cannon, Community School Director, Graham Windham
• Establish CUNY Fresh Start to reduce or eliminate unpaid balances up to $1,000 to help more adult learners re-enroll at CUNY. and complete their degree
  - Rachel Neches, Data Researcher, Center for an Urban Future
   

The event also included an extended session where members of the audience shared their own ideas for the borough’s future. The following are abbreviated summaries of these audience ideas. To hear the full comments/ideas, please watch the event video. Audience ideas included: 

• Provide more support for youth caregivers in the Bronx, as they face significant challenges with their social lives, mental health, and academic performance due to their caregiving responsibilities. - Diane Cooper, Caregivers Outreach Mentorship Empowerment
• Make parent engagement an allowable work activity for those on public assistance, as it can positively impact the trajectory of families' lives. - Beverly Emers, Community Leader; Policy Associate at the Welfare Rights Initiative at Hunter College, in collaboration with the Economic Justice Project at CUNY LAW
• Promote hydroponic farms in the Bronx as a sustainable food production solution. - Joel Mejia, Mi Oh My Hydroponic Farms Cooperative
• Utilize art as a tool to improve individual, community, and societal well-being through communication, emotional expression, and acceptance. - Anthony Wills Jr., Artistic Pride Productions
• Introduce Januus, a platform that combines social media and job platforms to foster professional growth and strengthen local economies. - Christian Benavides, Januus LLC
• Advocate for increased support and funding for community media institutions to ensure community engagement and diverse and inclusive representation. - Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 
• Encourage participation in local community boards as a way to voice community concerns and influence decision-making. - Jose Garcia
• Address the issue of insurance redlining and the extraction of wealth from the Bronx. - Gregory Jost, Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association
• Establish arts curriculum as a core subject in public schools to provide a gateway for students into viable careers in the arts. - Judith Insell, Bronx Arts Ensemble
• Establish programs that create opportunities for youth to learn how to channel their creativity into art and connect it to career pathways. - Denise Rosario Adusei, Bronx Children's Musem 
• Advocate for increased investment in Bronx parks and community programs to improve access to green spaces. - Adrian Cacho, Open Plans
• Expand financial literacy and tax preparation support for small business owners in the Bronx to help them thrive. - Malcom Gray, Mosholu Preservation Corporation
• Improve computer science education in Bronx high schools by teaching fundamental programming languages. - James Lovingthomas, Software Engineer 
• Promote environmental justice and equitable access to green spaces and the waterfront through investment in a Harlem River Waterfront for the community. - Chauncy Young, New Settlement Parent Action Committee
• Support programs that work to reduce recidivism in justice-involved youth in the Bronx through workforce development. - Nicholas Stanton, DriveChange
   

The event also featured :

• A fireside chat with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson
• A dynamic panel featuring: 
  • Mychal Johnson, Founding Member and Advisory Board Member, South Bronx Unite
  • Jerelyn Rodriguez, Co-Founder and CEO, The Knowledge House
  • Lisa Sorin, President, Bronx Chamber of Commerce
  • John Weed, Assistant Executive Director, BronxWorks
• And a panel discussion with:
  • Assembly Member Karines Reyes
  • Assembly Member Amanda Septimo
  • Assembly Member Emérita Torres
  • Council Member Althea Stevens

A video of the full event is available here.

This event was made possible through generous support from Verizon. We are also grateful for general support from The Clark Foundation, The Altman Foundation, and ongoing support from a number of other philanthropic funders.